Hello,  

This week we conclude our series of the  A – Z of diet, health and fitness. It has been an interesting journey for us to look at such a wide variety of subjects that affect our general health and wellbeing. Mary and I hope you have enjoyed reading them and hopefully will have learned some interesting facts and information along the way. So finally, here we go with W – Z.

Don't forget, if you have missed any previous editions of our Newsletter you can find them all here.

W is for Weight Control
We have discussed the importance of maintaining a healthy weight many times in our Newsletters but weight control is critical to our number of healthy living years – in other words, the quality of our life as we age.

The following BMI chart indicates the five categories of weight as determined by the medical profession. Our aim is to be in the ‘Healthy’ zone with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25 or less. Before you calculate your own BMI, measure your height carefully, as most of us lose a few inches as we get older. I used to be almost 5’2” but now I am nearer 5’. Very annoying when you are short to begin with!

(Click here to download the chart) 

As we advance in years, sadly, our shape and body composition changes too. This is caused by many things that alter, very quietly, over time. Then suddenly we realise we have more weight around our middle and slimmer legs. Also, shrinking in our height doesn’t help either! It seems as though Nature has put its hand on our heads and pressed us down with the effect that we are shorter but wider even though we might weigh the same as we did five years ago! 

Sadly, the ageing process causes our muscles to shrink and the levels of fat in our body to increase. But we can fight this trend by working hard on our fitness to help our bodies be stronger and healthier through regular exercise. Walking every day will help to keep our fat stores in check and strength workouts will help to keep our muscles strong. In my view, never is there a more important time to get and stay fit than when we are getting older. It helps us to age well.

Carrying excess weight is not only dangerous for our health, but it causes so many problems with our general mobility. It affects our joints, our energy levels, as well as adding enormous risk to our heart and lungs. The mental and physical cost of being overweight or living with obesity is huge. It prevents us from moving around easily which affects every aspect of our life!

• Losing weight through eating a calorie-restricted diet is only part of the solution. Of course, it’s important to watch what we eat and to eat healthy, non-processed, foods in sensible portions but, vitally, we need to stop snacking!
• Eating three healthy meals every day is the solution and they should satisfy us so that we don’t need to snack.
• To speed up our weight loss and to help us maintain a healthy weight, it is key to our success that we exercise in some form every day, even if it is just walking.
• Exercising regularly burns fat, strengthens our muscles and makes us feel good.
• If we feel good, we are more likely to eat healthily. If we eat healthily, we are more likely to look and feel better! Let’s do it!

X is for X-ray
So, how do X-rays work? X-rays are a type of radiation that can pass through the body and as they do so, the energy from the X-ray is absorbed by the body at different rates by different parts of the body. Then a detector on the other side of the body picks up the X-rays after they've passed through, and turns them into an image!

Dense parts of our body, like bone, X-rays find more difficult to pass through so they show up as clear white areas on the image. Softer parts of our body, like our heart and lungs, X-rays can pass through more easily and these show up as darker areas.

After my knee operation in June, I visited my surgeon for him to check on his handywork. He showed me the ‘before’ and ‘after’ X-rays of my knee which really helped me to understand how he had given me a partial knee replacement, which I knew was significantly less traumatic to the leg than a full knee replacement.

Look at the 'before' X-ray on the left which shows the bottom of my femur (thigh bone) and top of my tibia (shin bone). On the left side of my knee they are well spaced apart with cartilage, whereas on the right the bones are touching. Because the X-ray doesn’t show up soft tissue, we can’t see the cartilage which acts as a shock absorber between the two bones on the left of my knee but the right side had virtually none, which is why we can see the bones touching. No wonder it was so painful. 

In the ‘after’ X-ray you can see that the surgeon has replaced some of my bone with titanium, and then fixed it with pegs drilled into my bones. He then put an artificial cartilage between them which is plastic so not visible on the X-ray, which will last my lifetime.

This operation transformed my life and only took three weeks for me to recover so if ever you are about to have a knee replacement, why not ask if there is any possibility that you might have a partial replacement instead instead of a full one? I’m told it is significantly less painful than a full one and a much quicker recovery.

Y is for Youthfulness
The Oxford Dictionary defines the word 'youthfulness' as a 'quality or condition characteristic of the young'. This sounds about right in that the younger generation certainly exudes an energy that many of us lose as we get older. So how do we define it for those of us in the older age group? My 3-year-old grandson insists that if I tried harder I could in fact run as fast as he can, and the disappointment in his face when I don't, is something I have to live with. But I believe fervently that we can exude 'youthfulness' at any age. 

Another definition expanded the concept further by stating that youthfulness is 'the quality of being young in behaviour, appearance and attitude' and that gives me a better platform from which to expand:

Our Behaviour
One of the great things about getting older is that we worry far less about what others think of us. If we want to do something outlandish, we can go right ahead! I call it 'zest for life' and many of those I mix with every week are of the same mind. 

Also, by keeping ourselves healthy and physically fit we naturally move quicker. It's not quite a run, of course, as my grandson expects, but it is certainly a pacy walk! And that means that it transcends into any movements we make throughout the day... we react quicker, we reach up higher and we are able to catch our balance better when needed. We all witnessed Captain Sir Tom Moore, at 100 years old, getting quicker and quicker as he walked round his garden!

Another thing I urge you to do is use your voice!  As we age your voice can become quite 'thin' simply because you have stopped speaking so much, particularly if you live alone. So, getting out and about, mixing with others, socialising and chatting will not only help to keep our voice 'young' but our mental health the best it can be. I heard Sheila Hancock speaking on the radio recently and I was impressed with how at the age of 90 her voice was as strong as ever. She said she sang a song every day...and loudly!

Our Appearance
When we look in the mirror it is hard not to feel a certain disappointment at how age affects how we look. I urge my daughters to look after their skin as much as possible – keep out of the sun, eat a healthy diet, and exercise regularly. But I have to say that eventually there has to be an acceptance of those changes and then all you can do is to make the best of what you have. Keeping a good posture (poor posture is very ageing!), wearing a little make-up (not too much!) and dressing nicely to suit your age (but not too frumpy – pop socks with a dress come to mind!). You can find lots of helpful advice in the Ageing Well section of the website including Why Medically Posture is Important, Make-up and Dressing for your Figure Shape.

Our Attitude
And finally, folks, to get through life without too much hassle (we all have some hassle!) we need a strong PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). This embraces optimism, curiosity, adaptability and a willingness to embrace change.

Particularly, we must take responsibility for our health.  Of course, we must seek help for medical issues, but how much can we actually do for ourselves? 

On our walk this morning a lady talked of her friend who had to see the physiotherapist for a problem with her feet. She was given a set of exercises to do following the appointment and when asked if she was doing them she admitted she was not. Her feet had not improved and she was blaming the medical profession for not doing enough!  At least give those exercises a chance to help you!  Rosemary's severe arthritis in her feet and her remarkable recovery from major foot surgery in 2019, shows what is possible… back to her daily walks and doing thousands of steps a day!  Good on you Rosemary!  

Z is for Zinc (Zn)

Zinc Boosts the Activity of our T Cells
T Cells play a major part in the immune system keeping it working harmoniously, protecting us from infection and seeking out the bad guys that can lead to inflammation in the gut, causing illness and disease. They are crucial to the overall 'balance' of our immunity.

Zinc Accelerates Wound Healing
Zinc is necessary for healing to fully take place. It is used widely in hospitals for burns and other skin injuries. In a recent study over 12 weeks with a group of diabetics with foot ulcers, those who were treated with 50mg of zinc daily experienced a significant reduction in ulcer size compared with those who were not.

Food Sources
Our body does not naturally store zinc so it can only be obtained through the food we eat or by taking a supplement. Thankfully it is found in a wide variety of plant and animal foods:

• Shellfish - crab, mussels, lobster and clams
• Meat and Poultry
• Fish - particularly salmon and sardines
• Legumes - chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans
• Dairy - milk and yogurt
• Eggs
• Whole grains
• Seeds and nuts - cashews are particularly good
• Some vegetables - mushrooms, kale, peas and asparagus.

And finally...

As we all know, our health is our most valuable asset, and eating healthily, keeping fit and being happy are absolutely vital if we are to live a long and fulfilling life… and keep ourselves feeling youthful! Our aim each week in writing this Newsletter is to help us all to reach that goal.

Have a wonderful week and next week our Newsletter will return to its normal format.

With love and best wishes,

LIVE LONGER | LIVE HEALTHIER | LIVE HAPPIER