MorningStar

While growing older can bring a new appreciation of life, it can also bring a series of challenges including a decline in health that impacts a person’s mobility. This can be due to chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity. Other causes are diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s as well as profound vision or hearing loss that interferes with people’s abilities, requiring people to rethink some of their lifelong activities. The good news is many of the things’ people enjoy doing can still be done – they just may need some modifications. During this phase of life, you may discover new activities you enjoy just as much as the things you had to let go. Most importantly experts say do not define yourself by your limitations. Rather they remind seniors that staying active and engaged has many benefits including boosting physical and mental health; and provides people with a sense of purpose and meaning to th...

While we may think we don’t have a morning routine, typically there is a way we start our morning whether it is drinking a cup of coffee and reading the morning news to perhaps doing some exercise. Whatever your routine, experts say adding a few healthy additions to our mornings can start our day off even better. Since many of us don’t drink as much water as we should each day, one suggestion is to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. This helps to not only rehydrate your body after a night’s sleep but goes a long way toward meeting your daily water goal. To make it easy to do, keep a water bottle next to you on your nightstand table. Another tip is to exercise. If you are not really a morning person, there are many examples of short, effective morning workouts on the internet. One 10 minute workout starts with doing deep breathing exercises while still in bed. Other suggestions for early exercises include a solitary walk in nature or weeding your garden. Being around n...

When dieting, it is best to shy away from fried foods, foods loaded with empty carbs and sugary foods. Dieticians say that still leaves a lot of tasty food we can eat without feeling guilty. At the top of the list are non-starchy vegetables of which there are many ways to prepare them to ensure they are both satisfying and tasty. If vegetables aren’t your favorite foods, it may be you are not creative enough in preparing them. A simple suggestion is to give your veggies a quick spray of olive oil, add seasoning and a few cloves of garlic. Either roast or air fry to give them a punch of flavor. If you love dips, think about switching up from heavy-caloric dips to ones using salsa or low-fat yogurt. A list of veggies nutrient-dense and light in calories includes broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, sprouts and kale. If you want fruits, the best to eat are watermelon and cantaloupe, most berries and kiwi. Beata Rydyger, a registered nutritionist based in Los Angeles, says “Along with ...