Hello NoN Community, The more research that is done, the more we learn about how critically important your diet is. Diet and nutrition play a critical role in maintaining overall health and wellness, including the aging process. The nutrients we consume through our diet provide the building blocks for our bodies to repair and maintain themselves. A diet rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can help prevent chronic diseases and reduce the risk of age-related conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline. A healthy diet also supports healthy skin, hair, and nails, and can help prevent or reduce the signs of aging such as wrinkles, age spots, and thinning hair. In addition to providing essential nutrients, a healthy diet can also help maintain a healthy weight, which is important for reducing the risk of chronic diseases and maintaining mobility as we age. Overall, a diet rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods and balanced with physical activity and self-care can help support healthy aging and promote longevity, making it a "fountain of youth" of sorts. Before making any changes to your diet, we strongly recommend consulting with your Registered Dietician. They are the true experts in this field. There are many "health coaches" or "nutrition coaches". These are merely people following a pre-designed plan and do not have the education to make specific changes to your unique situation. Please consult with your Registered Dietician. Check out the video below for a great look at what diet and nutrition can do to longevity. Follow Us On Social Media!
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Hello NoN Community, This is not a new topic for us here, but we wanted to do a quick reminder blog. High intensity has some of the absolute best research supporting it as a method to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in people with Parkinson's Disease. While high intensity exercise might not sound like the most exciting way to improve your life, we strongly encourage you to discuss it with your healthcare team so you can participate safely and effectively to get all of the benefits below! This can happen through a variety of mechanisms:
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Hello NoN Community, Making healthy lifestyle changes is essential to improve your overall well-being. A healthy lifestyle can help you feel better, prevent chronic diseases, and increase your lifespan. However, many people find it challenging to make lifestyle changes, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start. This post will provide you with practical tips and advice on how to make healthy lifestyle changes that are sustainable in the long term. Chapter 1: Identify Your Goals Before you start making lifestyle changes, it's essential to identify your goals. What do you want to achieve? Do you want to lose weight, increase your fitness level, or reduce stress? Once you have identified your goals, you can create a plan of action to help you achieve them. Chapter 2: Change Your Eating Habits One of the most significant changes you can make to improve your overall health is to change your eating habits. Start by incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet and reducing your intake of processed foods. You can also try meal prepping to ensure that you have healthy meals on hand when you need them. The benefits of a healthy diet are limitless. If you need more guidance, check in with your Registered Dietician. Chapter 3: Get Moving Regular exercise is essential for good health. If you're not used to exercising, start by incorporating simple activities such as walking or cycling into your daily routine. Gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts as your fitness level improves. If you need more guidance here, check in with your local Physical Therapist. Chapter 4: Reduce Stress Stress can have a significant impact on your health. To reduce stress, try incorporating relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation into your daily routine. You can also try to reduce stressors in your life by setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care. Chapter 5: Get Enough Sleep Getting enough sleep is crucial for good health. Make sure you're getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night, and establish a regular sleep schedule. Avoid screens for at least an hour before bed, and create a comfortable sleep environment to promote restful sleep. Chapter 6: Stay Hydrated Staying hydrated is essential for good health. Aim to drink at least 8-10 cups of water each day, and reduce your intake of sugary drinks. You can also try incorporating herbal teas or fruit-infused water to add flavor to your drinks. Chapter 7: Surround Yourself with Support Making lifestyle changes can be challenging, but it's easier when you have support. Surround yourself with friends and family members who encourage your healthy choices. You can also consider joining a support group to help you stay on track. A great healthcare team includes a physician, physical therapist, registered dietician, and friends! Chapter 8: Track Your Progress Tracking your progress can help you stay motivated and accountable. Keep a journal of your healthy lifestyle changes and track your progress over time. Celebrate your successes and learn from any setbacks. Chapter 9: Stay Flexible Making lifestyle changes can be challenging, and it's okay to make adjustments along the way. If something isn't working for you, try a different approach. Stay flexible and be open to new ideas and strategies. Chapter 10: Make Healthy Choices a Habit The key to making healthy lifestyle changes that last is to make them a habit. Incorporate healthy choices into your daily routine, and eventually, they will become second nature. Remember that small changes over time can add up to significant improvements in your overall health and well-being. Conclusion: Making healthy lifestyle changes is essential to improve your overall well-being. By identifying your goals, changing your eating habits, getting moving, reducing stress, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, surrounding yourself with support, tracking your progress, staying flexible, and making healthy choices a habit, you can create a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Remember, small changes over time can add up to significant improvements in your health and well-being. FOLLOW US!
Hello NoN Community, Today we're sharing a beginner's kettlebell workout. Take a look and let us know how you did in the comments section. Thanks! "Exercise is a celebration of what your body can do. Make sure you do a lot of celebrating!" Dear NoN Community, Today we are sharing a good walking routine for beginners. It only takes 10-minutes and is a nice way to start your morning off. Follow along with the video and comment below to let us know what you thought! Hello NoN Community, Today we are going to continue our focus on mobility. For people with Parkinson's Disease and/or Arthritis, flexibility and mobility are critically important to maintaining independence and overall wellness. While static stretching can be good, we promote the use of functional movements to improve mobility instead. We think it provides better bang for your buck with your time. As much as we wish everyone could exercise 3 hours per day, it is just not realistic. The great news is, research has found that if you perform resistance exercises through your full available range of motion that you will get just as many improvements in flexibility and mobility in those joints and muscles as you would if you just sat there and stretched. Should you never stretch again? No. We still value stretching as an important part to overall health. As we stated in our last post, it does not have to take all day to get some stretching in. Not only that, but stretching can feel really good and there is a lot of value in that. All that being said, we recommend adding some resistance to your mobility work to get more out of your time. Today, let's look at a lower extremity resisted mobility routine for you to try. Try each movement 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Next Week: Resisted Spine Mobility Ideas Hello NoN Community, We wanted to share a couple stretches with you over this relaxing holiday weekend. Stretching is a part of your health and well-being. It improves mobility and can help reduce pain related to arthritis, PD, and many other conditions. Harvard Health comments that "stretching can feel good and improve mobility over time." While not the most important part of your health and wellness, maintaining your mobility will be extremely beneficial over time. These stretches can easily be completed while you have your coffee in the mornings, watch TV in the evenings, or while you are reading. How To: - As you hold these stretches, take big deep breaths. - Try not to push really hard. Make sure you feel a nice gentle stretch and not significant pain. - Try each stretch 3x for 60" each. - Try to do 2x each week for the month of July. Please comment on what you think about these stretches, stretches you like to do, and other things you do to improve your flexibility. Thank you!
Next Week! We will be discussing other ways to improve your flexibility. Hello NoN Community, We are really excited to introduce you to Daria Borowski, MS, CCC-SLP, CDP who owns Stronger Pathways in Durham, NC. She has a lot to offer the Parkinson's community. The area of speech, swallowing, and cognition is an area of PD management that does not get enough time or credit. They are critical for improving and maintaining a high quality of life. Check out the interview and her website to see how she can help you live a better life. She offers in-person and telehealth appointments. You can also email her at daria@strongerpathways.com or give her a call at 919-890-3030. Thanks for reading! Follow Us! NoN Community, Parkinson's Disease can be very isolating. It is a fact that has been brought to the forefront these past 2 years in the midst of the COVID pandemic. Along with the loneliness can come depression and anxiety (research estimates 50-70% of people with PD will experience this). These can have serious and deleterious effects on your health and well-being. We recommend the following steps to help: - discuss these feelings with your entire healthcare team (general practitioner, neurologist, physical therapist). We strongly recommend adding a psychiatrist to your team to help navigate this journey. - meet with a dietician to discuss healthy eating habits to help improve mood and well-being - discuss these feelings with your friends and family. You are not alone. In most cases they want to help, but don't know how. Tell them. - join the local support group. - join a local activity group that interests you - Every day write down something positive from your day This is obviously a short post on a complex topic. Sometimes it's complexity leaves people stuck. We believe the items above are a great place to start. What can you do to help yourself today? Check out the "Take Action Today" suggestion below. Feel free to share things that have helped you in the comments below. You never know who you might help! Thanks! Take Action Today - Reach out to one new contact today. It can be a friend, someone from a support group, family, healthcare team, or someone from a zoom program you've done. Set up a time once a week to talk, have coffee, etc. It doesn't always need to be about PD, but it can be if needed. Sometimes just knowing you have someone to reach out to is enough. Follow us! Hello NoN Community, We get asked a lot about increased risk for a variety of activities related to PD. One common one that pops up is, "Am I at a hire risk of problems when I go into the hospital?" The short answer is actually YES. There are 2 main issues: 1. Most people will not get there medications on time while staying in a hospital. This obviously can lead to a variety of problems. We strongly recommend having your medication schedule printed in a pack to bring with you to the hospital. 2. Most people will also suffer unnecessary complications due to medications, falls, and incomplete medical histories. The Parkinson's Foundation has created an "Aware in Care Hospitalization Kit" that you can purchase HERE. The kit is free with an $8 shipping charge. You can certainly make your own. Just make sure it is accessible and you remember to bring it with you in the event that you need to go to the hospital. Consider having the following items: 1. Medication list with dose, time of day, with/without food. 2. Past medical history list (previous diagnoses, surgeries, trips to the hospital) 3. Any information regarding DBS, Pacemaker, or any other electronics in your body. 4. Emergency contacts along with relationship and numbers. We hope this helps. Check out the Parkinson's Foundation page (or the video below) to see their kit or make your own. It will make any experience at the hospital much better for you. Thanks! |
The BlogThe blog is all about providing useful information for people, their caregivers, and/or friends. This is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is a series of generic recommendations, not for any specific individual. Please consult with your own health care professional before starting exercise. Enter your email here to receive updates on the blog!Archives
March 2024
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