Holiday Home Coming

It’s the holiday season and many are making home coming plans. Home is the best place to be. What is the feeling of being home for you? You may find it in different ways (i.e., the existential psychology theory suggested four dimensions) -

•            Physical – The resource for comfort, relaxation and privacy, a physical location of home base

•            Social – Belongingness, mother tongue language and culture, relationships and connections

•            Psychological – loving, support, family attachment and sense of security

•            Spiritual – the birth and resting place for the soul, church, temple, cemetery or your own space

Most families have more than one physical home – own home, parent’s home, in-law’s home, grandparent’s home, etc. We have different roles at these homes and we have responsibilities in our families. Family value is important in life.  No matter where you are, go home for the holidays. Your family is waiting and welcomes you at home.

What is important for you to bring home?

1. Yourself.  Take time off to be yourself and/or to be with your family. Your presence is the best present for your family, because you care for being at home with them.  Be home as yourself (husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter, etc) and treat yourself kindly with self-compassion. Leave your unfinished business behind and unload your emotional stress.

2. Your love and caring. Show your love and warm feelings, spend quality time with your family and love ones. Put down cell phones and turn off electronics and talk undistracted. Enjoy the time together and nourish the family bonding. Families who share life activities together form strong emotional ties.

3. Holiday spirit. Gift giving is a holiday tradition. We give gifts as a way of showing thoughtfulness, love and affection.

•  Giving makes us happy. Giving to others activates an area of the brain linked with contentment and the reward cycle. Researchers have found a strong link between performing generous acts and personal happiness. Whether money or time, giving promotes happiness, draws us closer to others, and strengthens empathy.  Giving promotes social connection. Studies show that when you give to others, your generosity is often continued down the line to someone else, or returned to you.
• Joyful receiving, with appreciations for kindness, is just as important as giving. Gratitude binds people together to share the joyful holiday spirit. Research findings suggest that positive emotions and rewarding mechanisms can function to reinforce and enhance the social bond, which is visible both at a behavioral and a neural level.
• Family reunion and friends connections are essential of holiday spirit. Even in the tough times, family and friends provide strong support.

Gift shopping can be both fun and stressful. Each person is unique and each holiday is special. Gift ideas are not limited to the material or monetary value; be creative and mindful. The best gift for someone is a needed or wanted something but not yet aware or realized.

To learn more about tips and ideas for gift shopping/selections , go to

https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-dec-holiday-homecoming.html

An important principle for gift selection is being practical and useful; do not waste money or resources. Trust your smart decisions in holiday gift selection and experience the joy of giving without stress. Happy holidays to all!

Updated Nov. 25, 2022

Go green for health: A Green Tea Invitation

Green Tea Benefits

Teas are popular beverages consumed world-wild for centuries. When it comes to offering health benefits, go green.  Green tea is often touted as the healthiest tea. It is chock full of polyphenols and antioxidants that help to boost brain and heart health. Green tea is considered one of the least processed true teas as it does not undergo oxidation.

Green tea has been widely studied and it has been recommended as a healthy beverage.  Studies suggest that green tea and its catechins may improve blood pressure, and the effect may be greater in those with systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mm Hg. The meta-analysis also suggests that green tea catechins may improve total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

​Other research has found that green tea has a possible impact on liver, breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. This tea variety has also shown to be anti-inflammatory, which helps keep your skin clear and glowing. ​Green tea may also help weight management and type 2 diabetes.

​L-theanine is an amino acid naturally found in plant sources such as tea leaves and some mushrooms. L-theanine benefits include helping to support alertness, relaxation, and sleep. The appeal of L-theanine stems from its ability to support a state of alert relaxation, so it can calm you down without causing drowsiness.

To learn more about green nutritional breakdown, green tea forms, and preparations and add ins, go to 

https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-nov-go-green-for-health-a-green-tea-invitation.html

To take the health benefits, you will need to make the green tea a daily routine. Enjoy green tea throughout the day is an effective way to cut down sugary drinks.  The holiday season is up coming.  Send an invite for families and friends; enjoy a tea party and the holiday reunion.

Visit qualitylifeforum.weebly.com for more health and wellness related topics. 

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Recommended readings:
Green tea  https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/green-tea
Health benefits of green tea  http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-of-green-tea

Hydration for Healthy Aging

 

As we age, several physiological changes can put seniors at a higher risk of dehydration, such as increased fluid loss, reduced body water content, and a decrease in fluid consumption. Hydration is vital because it keeps electrolytes balanced, blood volume normal, aids in digestion, transportation of nutrients, and kidney functioning.

To learn more for the reasons to drink water and the answer to the popular question of “how much water to drink a day?”  Go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-oct-hydration-for-healthy-aging.html

Water is the best beverage recommended to consume by health and nutritional professionals; but it’s certainly not the only source of hydration. Water is present in food, fruits and vegetables. It’s in juice, in beer, in tea and coffee as well. Human body naturally balances the hydration from food and beverages during usual intake and activities. That’s why people may not feel thirsty or the need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. At times of certain circumstances, such as during intense physical activities or under extreme heat, the body will increase its needs for more water and trigger the brain for action command.

Taking good care of yourself – starting from drinking water and maintain hydration. Make health a priority and take actions to make good things happen.

Your Decision Power for Food Choices and Eating Behavior

 

As we are aging, our body changes quietly overtime. Daily volume of foods and beverages declines as a function of age. Physiological changes associated with age, including slower gastric emptying, altered hormonal responses, decreased basal metabolic rate, and altered taste and smell may also contribute to lowered energy intake. It’s time to re-learn how to nourish our body, being accountable for making important decisions of what to eat and when to eat every day.  These decisions are very powerful, as healthy eating matters.

The way we eat throughout our lives impacts the way we age. Science has proven that a well-balanced and varied diet full of nutritious foods like fruits and veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and lean proteins; and limited in sugar, salt, saturated or solid fats, and alcoholic beverages; is critical to good health. This means we all have the power to maximize and improve our health, add vitality to our years, reduce the risk of disease, and increase our healthspans—the number of years we live in good health. And research shows that it’s never too late to make improvements.

Balanced diet is not one size fit all. What to eat can get complicated; due to influences that contribute to an individual's food choices include individual factors, such as knowledge, personal taste preference, mood, hunger level, health status, special diet requirements, ethnicity, and personal income.

When to eat matters as well. You decide how many meals and meal/snack times of the day. You may also choose to practice time-restricted feeding (or intermittent fasting) for health benefit.

To learn more about the self-evaluation tool and the truth about food and eating behaviors, go to

https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-sept-your-decision-power-for-food-choices-and-eating-behavior.html

Additional resources for healthy aging nutrition are also provided.

Make health a priority and take actions to make good things happen.  Everyone faces challenges; consider seeking support from trustworthy resources and engage with positive influences. A health coach can keep you motivated for goal achievement and help you to be the best of yourself and deal with setbacks. Contact Qualitylifeforum@outlook.com  for your health coaching needs and keeping on track for your wellness goals.

Knowing When Doing More Is Harm than Good

 

It is possible to have too much of a good thing for healthy aging, as you may have heard that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing; such as -

1.                Water – do you believe in drinking 8 glasses of water a day is necessary?

2.                Fat Free – do you believe in 100% vegetarian is healthy and afraid to eat meat?

3.                Dietary supplements – do you believe more dietary supplements provide more benefits?

4.                Exercise – do you believe there is no upper limit for exercise?

5.                Sleep – do you believe sleep more is better?

To find out, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-aug-knowing-when-doing-more-is-harm-than-good.html

Let’s re-think and update our mindset. Learning what to do for health is just as important as to learn what not to overdo. Too much good things may not add up for good results, or may be harmful. Knowing the limit will prevent harm to your body. Keep life in balance. Moderation is a golden rule for healthy aging.

Facing aging challenges? You are not alone; count on Quality Life Froum (https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/) for support. Contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com  for your health coaching needs. 

Daily Routine for Healthy Aging

 

A daily routine supports mind and body wellbeing by giving more control of life, help regulate hormonal levels and coping with stress. Setting a routine is a great way to start and maintain healthy habits, as well as build in time for daily self-care.

Key elements of a basic daily routine including sleep hygiene, healthy eating, exercises, mental and physical activities, and self-care. To learn more details and tips for success, go to

https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-july-daily-routine-for-healthy-aging.html

A healthy routine is simple tasks and should become habits naturally with daily performance. Knowledge is power and enables us to make educated choices for healthy living. Behavior is the end result that is the only way knowledge can be beneficial. It doesn’t happen magically but requires significant time and effort. Bridging the gap between "knowing" and "doing" is a common struggle. You know it well. Do it now. Don’t wait. Action is what it counts. Be confident that results will sustain with continued efforts.

Invest in your health is worth of it. Health is priceless and most valuable, especially in your golden years. In each successful life story, you see the mentoring, coaching, guidance, and support in it. Feel free to contact qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your health coaching needs. 

Making Transition from A Patient To An Educated Healthcare Customer

 

A health care consumer is anyone who uses health services. From newborn care at delivery to long-term care later in life, everyone has healthcare needs which changes during lifespan. What differs from the traditional patient role is that a consumer who is a self-empowered decision maker, vs. the patient who is a passive receiver of care. Patients are vulnerable and have no choices. A patient is also a healthcare consumer, but a consumer is not necessarily a patient. People today believe they have that capacity to make informed health decisions, in a similar vein to how they make other decisions. People would like to empower themselves to move from the passive experience of being a patient to the engaged and powerful experience of being a consumer.   Most importantly, we are accountable for our own wellness and should take an important role in health care or care giving decision making.

What matters most to the healthcare customers are quality, cost, and coverage. These are inextricably linked and that all must be addressed for meeting health care needs. Overall, older age group uses more healthcare services and spending more for healthcare needs. Consumers are increasingly requiring personalized care; transparency in network coverage, medical prices, and bills; convenience; and more engaging in active participation of care.

Healthcare is different from other services because it is not clearly defined. In most industries, the product or service can be standardized to improve efficiency and quality, but healthcare provide services for personalized needs. In reality, it is challenging to making a role transition from a patient to an educated health care consumer, especially when getting older becoming more vulnerable. It is important to know your rights and empower yourself with health literacy. Learn how to transition from a patient to an educated customer for health and dental care, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-june-making-transition-from-a-patient-to-an-educated-healthcare-customer.html and https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2021-nov-navigation-for-healthcare-needs.html   

To be an educated healthcare customer,

•        ​Recognize that you could pay very different amounts for healthcare services depending on where you go.
•         Shop around when you can, but don’t sacrifice quality for price.
•         Don’t make the mistake of assuming that a high price translates into high quality.
•         Seek out information on the quality of care as well as the out-of-pocket expenses you can expect.
•         Most importantly, always review your medical/dental billing statements carefully and verify each charge is correct or take actions to resolve billing issues before making a payment.

Health coaching supports you to make health a priority and take actions to make good things happen.  Everyone faces challenges; consider seeking support from Qualitylifeforum trustworthy resources and engage with positive influences. Health coaching can help you to be an educated healthcare customer. Contact Qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your health coaching needs.

Aging Skin and Sun Safety

Aging skin is normal part of life. It is natural for skin to go through changes during lifespan. Wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, sagging skin and dry areas are all commonly seen associated with inevitable ageing. Many people experience some benign skin growth, such as skin tags, cysts, seborrheic keratosis, cherry angiomas, moles, or age spots as getting older. To learn more about each of these benign conditions, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-may-aging-skin-and-sun-safety.html

What skin lesions may be cancerous? It is recommended to see a dermatologist for a full body skin cancer screening and evaluation for existing lesions, then re-evaluate for new development.

Excessive sun exposures contribute to skin aging and skin cancer.  Sunlight contains two forms of radiant energy, ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). UVB provides the energy your skin needs to make vitamin D, but that energy can burn the skin and increase the cell damage that leads to cancer. UVA also contributes to skin damage and premature aging.

Sun exposures provide significant health benefits – improve mood and cognition, regulate sleep and immune functions, and the skin uses sunlight to help manufacture vitamin D, which is important for normal bone formation. However, there is no scientifically validated safe threshold level of UV exposure from the sun that allows for maximal vitamin D synthesis without increasing your skin cancer risk. The Ultraviolet (UV) Index is a valuable forecasting tool designed to help us make informed decisions for sun damage protection. To learn about the UV index, skin protection, outdoor swimming tips, and more, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-may-aging-skin-and-sun-safety.html

Stay connected with Quality Life Forum. Everyone faces challenges; consider seeking support from trustworthy resources and engage with positive influences. A health coach can keep you motivated for goal achievement and help you to be the best of yourself and deal with setbacks. Contact Qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for your healthy aging needs.

Aging and Oral Health

Aging is a complex phenomenon that, partially due to the occurrence of chronic diseases, can result in frailty, limited mobility, and other aspects of physical and cognitive decline. Major concerns for older people are poor general health and poor nutrition.

The association between nutritional status and oral health in older people seems evident. Poor oral health can cause oral pain, chewing problems, periodontal disease, and tooth loss, which have a negative impact on nutritional intake, leading to poor nutritional status and risk of malnutrition. Inadequate intake of micronutrients and macronutrients can, in turn, lead to an increased risk of oral health problems such as gum disease, caries, and hyposalivation. There are evidence indicating a negative association between malnutrition and oral health. Prevention of malnutrition and optimizing oral health conditions in older people can result in better overall health, increased self-dependency, and higher quality of life.

As the years go by, teeth and gum require an increasing amount of care. Dental pain and sensitivity, tooth decay, crowns and root canals; may eventually needing dentures or implant. Oral health problems can become very serious quickly.

Older adults are at an increased risk of malnutrition and poor oral health. Older Americans face many challenges, a very important but often overlooked, is the ability to maintain a healthy mouth and a healthy diet. Generally, dentists recommend having at least 20 teeth that have occlusion with one another to chew properly. This includes at least 4 pairs of molars that can help you chew on difficult food items, and the rest are anterior teeth to help you grip and tear on food. Correct issues with poorly fitting dentures and missing tooth will enable older adults for healthy dietary selections, eat better, enjoy food and enhance appetite.

To learn dos and don’ts in good oral care practice, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-april-aging-and-oral-health.html

Other factors related to oral health including Cognitive impairment, Vitamin D deficiency, Dietary choices, Cost concerns, and Motivation.

Keeping motivated for best oral self-care, remind yourself that: 

• Food is the fuel for lifeline and nutrition start from oral intake. Dental and masticatory function is essential for survival. Aging is not a reason to compromise oral health. • You are accountable for your oral hygiene, more importantly when aging as it requires better care. Wellbeing is priceless. • Dining experiences are enjoyable when you can eat without dental pain or limitations. • Good taste of food is rewarding. • Oral health enhances self-confidence and quality of life.

Feel free to contact qualitylifeform@outlook.com for healthy aging support and coaching needs.

Age-Related Hearing Loss

 

Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition reported by elderly people. The estimated prevalence of significant hearing impairment among people over the age of 65 is approximately 40 to 45 percent and among people over the age of 70 exceeds 83 percent. Hearing sensitivity declines gradually and progressively with aging. It may not be noticeable until lost ability to hear in advanced stage. It seems to run in families and may occur because of changes in the inner ear and auditory nerve. Age-related hearing loss, or Presbycusis, usually occurs in both ears, affecting them equally and permanently.

In general, the average hearing thresholds of men are typically poorer than those of women in the high frequencies, with men exhibiting a sharply sloping hearing loss in the moderately severe range in the high frequencies, and the women exhibiting a more gradual sloping hearing loss in the moderate range in the high frequencies. Perhaps the most important consequence of the decline in hearing sensitivity with aging is difficulty understanding speech. Multiple sources are thought to contribute to the communication deficits of elderly people, including hearing loss, cognitive decline, and slowed temporal processing. Processing brief changes in stimulus duration and presentation rate for signals embedded in sequences are notably difficult for elderly people, which suggests that auditory temporal processing deficits may relate to the observed problems in understanding rapid speech and accented English.

To learn about signs of hearing loss, hearing loss and dementia, hearing loss and physical function, and What to do about Age-Related Hearing Loss, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-mar-age-related-hearing-loss.html . Follow QualityLifeForum.net for more topics on healthy aging and health coaching support.

Aging Eye Facts

 

Vision changes occur as you get older, but these changes don't have to affect your lifestyle. Knowing what to expect and when to seek professional care can help you safeguard your vision. As you reach your 60s and beyond, you need to be aware of the warning signs of age-related eye health problems that could cause vision loss.

Many eye diseases have no early symptoms. They may develop painlessly, and you may not notice the changes to your vision until the condition is quite advanced. Healthy lifestyle choices, regular eye exams and early detection of disease can significantly improve your chances of maintaining good eye health and vision as you age.

If you are 60 or older, driving may be more challenging. Age-related vision changes and eye conditions may increase driving risks, as you may not even aware of any symptoms.

To learn more about age-related vision changes, driving safety after 60, and age-related eye diseases may result in vision loss, go to https://qualitylifeforum.weebly.com/2022-feb-aging-eye-facts.html

Eye fatigue and dryness are common age-related problems as well. To learn how toreduce aging eye fatigue, follow the link.

Regular comprehensive eye exam is essential. A comprehensive eye exam is recommended at least annually for age 65 and older by the AOA. It is more than a visual acuity check for glasses purpose.

• A comprehensive adult eye examination includes:
• Patient and family health history.
• Visual acuity measurement.
• Preliminary tests of visual function and eye health, including depth perception, color vision, peripheral (side) vision and the response of the pupils to light.
• Assessment of refractive status to determine the presence of nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism.
• Evaluation of eye focusing, eye teaming and eye movement abilities.
• Eye health examination.
• Additional tests as needed.

Having a complete eye exam with an eye doctor is important because most eye diseases can be treated if they are found early. The doctor will also test your eyesight and check for glaucoma. Pupil dilation will enable your eye doctor to get a clear view of the optic nerve and check for early signs of eye disease.

Choosing an eye doctor (Ophthalmologist vs. optometrist): in short, Ophthalmologist and optometrist both can prescribe medications and treat eye diseases. Optometrists can handle nearly all the medical aspects of ophthalmology. But they do not perform surgery. Ophthalmologists are surgeons and can treat your medical needs as well. If you have a serious condition, such as severe macular degeneration or cataract, you’ll typically see a specialist (ophthalmologist). If you don’t have any serious eye problems, the choice is really up to you.

Eyesight is the most precious gift of life. Make eye health a priority and take actions for proactive eye care. Everyone faces aging challenges. Contact Qualitylifeforum@outlook.com for help and support of your health needs.

Health: the Cornerstone for Quality of Life

 

Quality of life (QoL) is a broad concept, which can be measured in terms of living conditions, physical health, mental health, social relationships, level of independence, economic security, safety, or basic human rights.

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) focuses on the impact of health on a person’s ability to live a fulfilling life. HRQL has a focus on the effects of illness and is connected to an individual’s wellness status, which is the cornerstone of QoL. HRQL measures are multidimensional, profile instruments focusing on several aspects of daily functioning. Typically, HRQL measures evaluate four core domains: (1) disease state and physical symptoms, (2) functional status (e.g., performing daily activities), (3) psychological and emotional functioning, and (4) social functioning.

Life expectancy measures how long a person can expect to live, which has its significance in HRQL. At personal level, in fact, most people would agree it is more important to stay healthy than just alive. The secret to a happy life appears to be not measured by years lived, but by the quality of those years.

How do we live longer but maintain an active, healthy lifestyle free of chronic illness? Evidence-based studies indicate that longevity is based on two major factors, genetics and lifestyle choices. While genetics we can’t change, lifestyle is our choice. There were common themes that kept repeating across all research. For more details and learn habits linked to a long life. 

While everyone gets older, not everyone feels their age. For aging perception, feeling young and free of pain and physical limitations are associated with a wide variety of benefits for health and well-being. In many ways, life improves with age, even after came through the youthful years.

Making your health for top priority and taking actions for health improvements in the new year. Maximize your total health from health coaching of Quality Life Forum - go to QLF health coaching programs. Feel free to reach out for QualityLifeForum@outlook.com and stay connected with QualityLifeForum.weebly.com  on your wellness journey.