By Bob Kueppers

I visited my grandfather a few days ago, and like each time I visit, I'm constantly being forced to eat whatever snack he's currently munching on, only to be washed down with super strong homemade red wine. My grandfather is 92 and in great health. He drinks red wine every day and is always eating walnuts, beans and pomegranates when in season. I came across an article on the 10 super foods for seniors and wasn't too surprised to see my grandfathers favorites on there. 

 

Antioxidants protect the body from dangerous substances called free radicals that can lead to many chronic diseases. Antioxidants work by slowing or preventing the oxidative – or damage from oxygen – process caused by free radicals that can lead to cell dysfunction and the onset of problems like heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes and cancer. For seniors, an antioxidant-rich diet in the following foods and drinks can help boost the immune system and provide major health benefits.

 

Beans - Beans are close to the perfect food. They are chock full of protein, vitamins, calcium, fiber, and more. Red beans have more antioxidants per serving than any other fruit or vegetable. Small red beans and kidney, pinto and black beans are all choices rich in antioxidants.

 

Pomegranates – In addition to increasing antioxidants in the blood, pomegranates also decreases LDL (bad cholesterol) and cholesterol plaque build-up. The major health benefit of pomegranates seems to be their role in reduction of heart disease. It is better to drink the juice rather than eating the fruit, since most of the strong antioxidants found in pomegranate are found in the skin which we don’t consume. 

 

Cinnamon - Taken daily, cinnamon’s ability to reduce total cholesterol, bad cholesterol and triglycerides is comparable with statin drugs. Cinnamon seems to help the body use insulin more efficiently. Cinnamon also cuts blood sugar levels by 20 to 30 percent.

 

Blueberries - A great source of antioxidants and dietary fiber, blueberries contain more antioxidants than any other fruit or vegetable. The powerful compounds in blueberries belong to the flavonoid family. These combat free radical damage linked to heart disease and cancer. Studies show blueberries may boost your brainpower also. Blueberries, like cranberries, also fight off urinary tract infections.

 

Tomatoes - Tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene. Tomatoes cooked in soups, sauces or ketchups reduce the risk of prostate cancer and other cancers of the digestive tract. 

 

Black Tea - Black tea may help protect against various forms of cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers say drinking 20 oz. of tea every day for two weeks doubles or triples the immune system's output of an infection fighting substance called interferon gamma.

 

Green Tea - Green tea is another antioxidant-rich choice. Green tea contains a unique antioxidant called EGCG, which stands for epigallocatchin-gallate. These antioxidants are only found in green tea, which help eradicate free radicals and slow the aging process.

 

Red Wine - Red wine is the only alcoholic beverage that makes the list. Red wine contains bioflavonoids, phenols, resveratrol, and tannins, which have antioxidant and anticlotting properties, and raises HDL count – the good cholesterol.

 

Nuts - Walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are some of the top nuts for antioxidant content.

 

Dark chocolate - And for dessert, don’t forget that a piece of dark chocolate. It ranks as high as or higher than most fruits and vegetables in terms of antioxidant content.

 

Check with your doctor before starting any diet regimen.

 

(from agingcare.com)

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By Melissa Reynard

There's plenty of good reasons to learn another language. Travel, education, literature; and it's time to add another reason. Research shows that learning another language could also help to prevent Alzheimer's.

Linguists have long debated over the “critical period hypothesis” which says that the ability to acquire language is linked to a person's age or biology. Further debated is the window in which there is this optimal opportunity. The most popular theory for this range of time is early childhood, before puberty. But this isn't to say that older people can't learn languages. They may not develop the fluency in which a child can speak a language, but they can certainly learn another language.

And if learning that language staves off Alzheimer's, it is something that probably should be thought about. When learning a language, the brain creates new neural pathways which helps with brain function and memory. It's a way of “exercising” the brain and keeping it from that dormancy that seems to accompany Alzheimer's.

It should be noted that learning a new language will not prevent Alzheimer's in all cases. But at the very least, it could delay the progress of Alzheimer's. A study of 450 Alzheimer's patients showed that those who were bilingual for most of their lives had a delay in onset of Alzheimer's by about 4-5 years compared to those people who only spoke one language. And that doesn't take into account the learning of a new language at an older age either, as it was for already established bilingual users. And even better, another study shows that people who spoke four or more languages were five times less likely to have memory problems than even the bilingual speakers.

So what are you waiting for? There are so many languages out there to learn (6,800 different languages at last estimated count) and there's no longer the excuse that you are too old to learn another language. You don't have to develop fluency, but give your brain a better shot and pick up that English to whatever dictionary. Because health is important in any language:

 

Salud

בריאות

Salute

健康

Santé

स्वास्थ्य

Здоровье

Heilsa

الصحة

Gesundheit

Υγεία

Sláinte

Veselības

สุขภาพ

Sức khỏe

健康

 

 

Sources:

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/how-to-prevent-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-by-learning-another-language/

 

http://healthland.time.com/2011/02/22/why-speaking-more-than-one-language-may-delay-alzheimers/

 

 

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