Category: Health
Intergenerational Care Benefits Everyone Involved
September 29, 2024
September is Intergeneration Month, launched by The Intergenerational Foundation, to connect generations and urge people from varying age groups to socialize. The idea behind recognizing Intergeneration Month each September is to promote learning from each other, such as gaining a better understanding of history and the challenges that separate generations. By connecting with different age groups across generations, unlikely friendships form between those who would otherwise never have communicated with each other.
People balancing raising young children and caring for aging parents may consider looking into what intergenerational daycare can offer. Facilities that provide both child care and senior care are on the rise, and that’s probably because, in addition to being a convenient solution for caretakers, the benefits to each age group are numerous.
If you’re considering Intergenerational Care for your loved ones, here’s everything you need to know.
What is Intergenerational Care?
Intergenerational care centers provide care for both young children and older adults. “It’s also referred to as a ‘shared site,’” says Merle Griff, the director of McKinley Center Intergenerational Project. “In many cases, there’s a senior area on one side of the building, a child care area on the other, and a hallway connecting the two. At various points during the day, they come together,” she says. The care provided can take on several forms, but at the core, it’s a service offered to multiple generations to provide care in one place across age groups.
The benefits of multi-generational care include forming connections between people who have a lot to teach one another and who would have otherwise never been allowed to meet. “It brings younger and older people together to increase social connectedness, enhance well-being for the benefit of all ages, and strengthen the web of support that is so integral to families and communities,” says Sheri Steinig, the director of Generations United. “People of different ages come together to learn, play, grow, and interact in planned intergenerational activities as well as through informal encounters,” she says.
The Different Kinds of Intergenerational Care
While intergenerational care means care across generations, the services provided vary. “There are many settings for intergenerational care,” says Steinig. “There can be programs at community centers and schools or care in daycare centers, retirement communities, nursing homes or assisted living and affordable housing,” she says. You may even provide intergenerational care in the form of a multigenerational household where more than two generations live. One in four American households are already multigenerational.
Intergenerational care centers look more like daycare facilities with adult daycare services or nursing home locations. “Each center is run their own way,” says Griff. “There are typically planned, structured interactions during the day,” she says. Both age groups are usually not combined for the entire day. Daily intergenerational activities may look like a combined sport, arts and crafts activity, comparison presentations between then and now, or even cradling opportunities, where seniors are paired with infants to rock and soothe to sleep. To date, there are fewer care centers than intergenerational programs. While there are only 150 sites across the country, care centers are expected to grow in popularity. For instance, The Mount Intergenerational Learning Center, a Seattle preschool within a nursing home, reports having over 400 children on their waiting list.
Intergenerational care programs are structured pairings between children of various ages and older adults. Programs such as these are designed to foster relationships between youth and seniors. It could be a pen pal program between elementary school kids and seniors, college students visiting nursing homes, multi-age choirs, or veterans going to schools to talk to students about their experiences.
To find a program such as this or a care center in your area, Generations United offers a search tool.
The Benefits of Intergenerational Bonds
Many grandparents live thousands of miles away from their grandchildren while aging adults live several states away from their children. According to a study from the University of California San Francisco, 43% of older adults report experiencing loneliness, and those who feel lonely are at a 59% increased risk of declining health.
That’s when intergenerational care can help. Older adults experience a sense of purpose and renewal after spending time with and helping young people. It helps seniors feel like they are not just receiving care but offering care. “Despite the dementia diagnosis, the maternal and paternal instincts can still kick in, and the seniors feel a sense of purpose,” says Jenna Hauss, the president of ONEgeneration. “They can care for others. They don’t always need to be cared for,” she says.
It isn’t just older generations that benefit from the connection. Children who spend time around older adults have fewer biases around such things as walkers and wheelchairs and become more comfortable with these differences. Multigenerational care promotes sensitivity among both age groups. Parents notice that their children are more empathetic, while older adults experience less loneliness, reduced agitation, and improved overall health.
Intergenerational care addresses two important needs: early childcare and the increasing demand for senior services, but the benefits of this combined service reap rewards far beyond caretaking. Research is proving that both age groups experience different perks from intergenerational connections. If this sounds like it might be the right fit for you and your loved ones, Insureyouknow.org can help you search for care by storing all of your research, financial information, and medical records in one easy-to-review place.
Understanding What Hospice Care Means
July 1, 2024
When treatment for serious illnesses is causing more side effects than benefits, or when health problems become compounded, then a patient and their family members may begin to wonder about hospice. “We recognized as people consider hospice, it’s highly emotional times,” says medical director for Austin Palliative Care Dr. Kate Tindall. “It might include worries and fears.” But one of the things she hears most often from patients and their families is that they wish they had started sooner. Understanding who qualifies for hospice and what it entails is the first part of deciding what might be best for those with terminal conditions.
What is Hospice Care?
Hospice is meant to care for people who have an anticipated life expectancy of 6 months or less, when there is no cure for their ailment, and the focus of their care shifts to the management of their symptoms and their quality of life. With hospice, the patient’s comfort and dignity become the priority, so treatment of the condition ends and treatment of the symptoms, such as pain management, begins. There are no age restrictions placed around hospice care, meaning any child, adolescent, or adult who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness qualifies for hospice care.
An individual does not need to be bedridden or already in their final days of life in order to receive hospice care. Other common misconceptions about hospice care are that it is designed to cure any illness or prolong life. It is also not meant to hasten death or replace any existing care, such as those already provided by a physician.
Determining When it’s Time for Hospice
Establishing care is most beneficial for the patient and their caregivers when it is taken advantage of earlier rather than later. Hospice can be used for months as long as eligibility has been met. Once there is a significant decline in physical or cognitive function, the goal for treatment should become to help that individual live comfortably and forgo anymore physically debilitating treatments that have been unsuccessful in curing or halting the illness.
Both individuals and their loved ones who would benefit from initiating hospice care are often unaware of the services or are uncomfortable asking about them. “It’s a hard conversation to have,” says professor of medicine and palliative care at the Duke University School of Medicine David Casarett. “Many people really want to continue aggressive treatment up until the very end.” While many wait for their providers to suggest it, it should be understood that if eligibility for hospice has been met, an individual and their caregivers can initiate hospice care on their own.
Establishing Hospice Care
In order to qualify for hospice care, a physician must certify that the patient is medically eligible, which means that the individual’s life expectancy is 6 months or less. Typically, the referral to hospice starts with the attending physician’s knowledge of that person’s medical history, while eligibility is then confirmed by the hospice physician. A hospice care team consists of professionals who are trained to treat physical, psychological, and the spiritual needs of the individual, while also providing support to family members and caregivers. Care is person-centered, with the importance being placed on the coordination of care, setting clear treatment goals, and communicating with all involved parties.
Receiving Care at Home
Hospice care is generally provided in the person’s home, whether it’s a personal residence or a care facility, such as a nursing home. “When people are close to the end of their lives, going to the hospital does not make them feel better anymore,” explains professor of medicine at the University of California Dr. Carly Zapata. “Because there’s not necessarily something that we can do to address their underlying illness.” Staying at home allows the individual to be around their personal things and close to their loved ones and pets, which can provide them with comfort during the end of their life.
What Does Hospice Care Include?
Hospice includes periodic visits to the patient and their family or caregivers but is available 24-7 if needed. Medication for symptom relief is administered, any medical equipment needed is provided, and toileting and other supplies such as diapers, wipes, wheelchairs, hospital beds are provided. What may surprise some people is that hospice patients may even receive physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology services, and dietary counseling.
If needed, short-term inpatient care may be established for those who cannot achieve adequate pain and symptom relief in their home setting. Short-term respite care may also become available to help family caregivers who are experiencing or are at risk for caregiver burnout. Bereavement care, or grief and loss counseling, is also offered to loved ones who may experience anticipatory grief. Grief counseling is available to family members for up to 13 months after the person’s death.
Paying for Hospice
The first step in finding a hospice agency is to search for ones that serve your county. If there are several options available, then it’s recommended to talk to more than one and see which agency will best fit the patient’s needs. Adequate research should be conducted since not all hospice agencies provide physical and occupational therapy.
Hospice is a medicare benefit that all Medicare enrollees qualify for, but it may also be covered through private insurance and by Medicaid in almost every state. Military families may receive hospice through Tricare, while veterans with the Veterans Health Administration Standard Medical Benefits Package are also eligible for hospice. Hospice agencies will also accept individual self-pay, while there are also non-profit organizations that provide hospice services free of charge.
Discontinuing Hospice Care
Though it is uncommon, if a patient does improve or their condition stabilizes, they may no longer meet medical eligibility for hospice. If this happens, the patient is discharged from the program. Another situation that sometimes arises is when a person elects to try a curative therapy, such as a clinical study for a new medication or procedure. In order to do that, the patient must withdraw from hospice through what is called revocation. Both children and veterans are exempt from being disqualified from hospice care if they choose to also pursue curative treatments. Any person may always re-enroll in hospice care at any time as long as they meet the medical eligibility.
Opting for Palliative Care
Individuals with chronic conditions or life-threatening illnesses may opt for palliative care, which doesn’t require people to stop their treatments. Palliative care is a combination of treatment and comfort care and can be an important bridge to hospice care if patients become eligible. Because transitioning to hospice care can be an emotional choice, palliative care providers often help patients prepare for that. Many people avoid palliative care because they think it is equal to giving up and that death is imminent, but studies show that for many, palliative care allows them to live longer, happier lives. This is due to the benefits of symptom management and spiritual support.
While hospice care can be difficult to accept, it can provide people with the best quality of life possible in their final days, as well as provide their loved ones with valued support. With Insureyouknow.org, you may keep track of all medical and financial records in one easy-to-review place so that you may focus on caring for your loved one, your family, and yourself during this period of their care.
Five Things Happy Retirees Have in Common
June 15, 2024
The transition into retirement can be difficult, when work no longer provides a sense of identity and accomplishment. The change can be startling, especially when most people don’t switch to part-time schedules on the way out of their full-time careers. “We don’t really shift our focus to, how do we live well in this extra time,” says M.T. Connolly, author of The Measure of Our Age. “A lot of people get happier as they age because they start to focus more on the meaningful parts of existence and emotional meaning and positive experience as finitude gets more real.”
While most people account for how much money they’ll need when it’s time to retire, there are many other factors to consider when planning for a fulfilling retirement. Here are five things that happy retirees have in common.
Feeling a Sense of Purpose
There are several approaches to staying active and finding purpose after leaving a career. “Your retirement schedule should be less stressful and demanding than your previous one, but we don’t need to avoid all forms of work or service,” says Kevin Coleman, a family therapist. “Find some work that you take pride in and find intrinsically meaningful.”
Many retirees, for example, choose encore careers, where instead of working for the money, they are working for the enjoyment of the job. Besides finding a new job, there are other simple ways to feel purposeful during retirement. Purpose can be found by making oneself useful, such as by volunteering in the community, joining a community board, or participating in an enjoyable activity with a group, like a gardening club. Many retirees enjoy volunteering to take care of their grandchildren or helping their older friends with caregiving duties. Finding purpose doesn’t need to be complicated and can be achieved through simple acts of showing up for others and being open to new connections.
Finding Ways to Connect
As nearly 25% of those who are 65 and older feel socially isolated, finding ways to connect are important for mental and physical well-being during retirement. One way to connect is through storytelling. Sharing our stories with the people we care about strengthens our social bonds and helps us feel less lonely. Storytelling also helps people pass down their family memories, especially when we share stories with younger relatives, such as with grandchildren. It’s a nice feeling to think that your memories will live on through your loved ones. “The models we have for aging are largely either isolation or age segregation,” says Connolly. “There’s a loss when we don’t have intergenerational contact. It impoverishes our social environment.” Perhaps the best thing to do as you age is to cherish and foster these relationships with younger relatives.
Making Plans for the Retirement Years
Budgeting for your retirement is crucial to happiness during the retirement years. Successful retirement planning includes paying off debts prior to retiring and saving for unexpected expenses or emergency funds in addition to a standard monthly budget. According to a survey conducted by Wes Moss, author of You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think, the happiest retirees are those who have between $700,000 and $1.25 million in liquid retirement savings, such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cash. His research also found that retirees within five years or less of paying off their mortgages are four times more likely to be happy in retirement. This is because the mortgage payment is typically the most significant expense, so those retirees who own their homes feel safer and more at peace once they no longer have that bill. Plus, not having a mortgage payment due every month dramatically lowers their monthly expenses and can help retirement savings last longer.
Many retirees overlook retirement planning beyond their finances. New research from the Stanford Center on Longevity shows that where someone lives in retirement can affect their longevity. Researchers found that people over the age of 60 who lived in upper-income areas lived longer due to having more access to health and social services. They also credited strong social networks and a sense of community to living longer. So perhaps there’s a city or area that you’ve always dreamed of living in or you’d like to live closer to family. Think about where you want to live when you’re done working and then plan for it before you retire.
Beyond saving up and thinking about where you want to spend your retirement years, setting goals for once you’re in retirement is equally as important. “Research suggests that those who think about and plan for what they will do in retirement in advance are far happier and fulfilled once they actually retire and begin living this phase of life,” says financial planner Chris Urban. “Sometimes it is helpful for people to write down what they plan to do every day of the week, what goals they have, who they want to spend time with and what they want to do with them.”
While your goals before retirement were likely centered around career and finances, it will be important to set different kinds of goals once you’re retired. Having goals doesn’t become less important just because you’re no longer working. “If you really want something, maybe a new romance, then take a concrete step in that direction,” says psychiatry professor Ahron Friedberg. “Don’t ever tell yourself that it’s too late.”
Prioritizing Both Physical and Mental Health
With a full-time career no longer on the schedule, cooking healthy meals at home, getting enough sleep, and finding ways to be more physically active everyday will be easier. It will also be important to keep up on medical appointments and preventive therapies. A study conducted by Harvard shows that even people who become more physically active and adopt better diets later in their lives still lower their risks of cardiovascular illnesses and mortality more than their peers who do not. “Not all core pursuits include physical activity or exercise, but many of the top ones do. I refer to them as the ‘ings’—walking, running, biking, hiking, jogging, swimming, dancing, etc.,” says Moss. “These all involve some sort of motion and exercise.” The most sustainable form of physical activity will be doing more of those activities that you enjoy and that move your body.
In addition to caring for your physical health, focusing on your mental health is just as important, especially as you age. According to Harvard’s Medical newsletter, challenging your brain with mental exercise activates processes that help maintain individual brain cells and stimulate communication between them. So choose something new or that you’ve always wanted to learn. Take a course at a community college or learn how to play an instrument or speak a language. If you enjoy reading, visit the library every week for a new book. If you enjoy helping others learn, then looking into a part-time tutoring job or volunteering to tutor is a way to challenge yourself mentally, connect socially, and feel a sense of purpose.
Prioritizing your overall health includes asking for help when you need it. If you reach a point where you need assistance with daily tasks and activities, then you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help early. Whether it’s family members or caregiving services, finding help with the things that are becoming difficult for you is the best way to maintain your independence for as long as you can so that you may continue to thrive during your retirement years.
It’s important to think about how you want to spend your retirement before it’s here. While many people only consider their finances when they begin to plan for the future, there are other factors, including how you’ll spend your time, where you’ll live, and your overall health that will impact the quality of your retirement years. With Insureyouknow.org, storing all of your financial information, medical records, and planning documents in one easy-to-review place will help you plan for what can be the best years of your life.
Life After a Stroke: What You Should Know
May 21, 2024
A stroke affects the brain’s arteries and occurs when a blood vessel that brings blood to the brain gets blocked or ruptures. The area of the brain that is supplied with blood by the blocked or ruptured blood vessel doesn’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, and without oxygen, nerve cells are unable to function. Since the brain controls one’s ability to move, feel, and think, a stroke can cause injury to the brain that could affect any or all of these functions.
Everyone should know the signs of a stroke and seek immediate medical attention if you think you or someone around you is having a stroke. If you or someone you love has recently had a stroke, then it’s important to understand what happens next.
Know the Symptoms of a Stroke and act FAST
The longer the brain is left untreated during a stroke, the more likely it is that someone will have irreversible brain damage. The acronym FAST can help everyone recognize the four main signs that someone may be having a stroke and remember to act fast in seeking medical treatment. That means calling 9-1-1 immediately, as emergency response workers can treat someone on arrival if they think that person is having a stroke.
FAST stands for Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and most importantly, Time. If one side of a person’s face is drooping, if the person cannot lift both arms or one arm is drifting downward, and if the person’s speech is slurred or they cannot repeat a simple sentence, then they may be having a stroke. Not all of these signs need to be present to signal a stroke. Just one or two of these symptoms is enough to call 9-1-1, because time is of the essence in the event of a stroke.
Stroke Treatment Begins With Emergency Response Workers
Calling for an ambulance means that the emergency response workers can start life-saving treatment on the way to the hospital. Stroke patients who are taken to the hospital in an ambulance may get diagnosed and treated more quickly than people who wait to drive themselves. The emergency workers may also know best where to take someone, such as to a specialized stroke center to ensure that they receive the quickest possible treatment. The emergency workers can also collect valuable information for the hospital medical staff before the patient even gets to the emergency room, alerting staff of your arrival and allowing time to prepare. All of what the ambulance team can provide saves time in the treatment of stroke, and in the event of a stroke, time is of the essence.
Ischemic Stroke or Hemorrhagic Stroke?
There are two different kinds of stroke, ischemic or hemorrhagic. A medical team will need to determine which kind of stroke the patient is having in order to direct treatment. An ischemic stroke accounts for 87% of all strokes and happens when a blood clot blocks a vessel supplying blood to the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke happens when a blood vessel ruptures and bleeds within or around the brain.
“Fifty percent of strokes present with a clot in a large vessel in the brain, and these don’t respond very well to the old treatment, the IV clot busting medicine,” says M.D. and director of the Sparrow Comprehensive Stroke Center Anmar Razak. “And so nowadays, we do surgery, and what we do is we rush them into the hospital, into the cath lab. We quickly get access through the blood vessels and get up to where the clot is and pull it out.”
With ischemic stroke, the treatment goal is to dissolve or remove the clot. A medication called alteplase or tPA is often administered and works to dissolve the clot and enable blood flow. Alteplase saves lives and reduces the long-term effects of a stroke but must be given to the patient within three hours of the start of a stroke. Then, a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy removes the clot and must happen within six to 24 hours of stroke symptom onset.
For hemorrhagic stroke, the treatment goal is to stop the bleeding. There is a less-invasive endovascular procedure involving a catheter being threaded through a major artery in an arm or leg toward the area of the bleeding in the brain where a mechanism is inserted to prevent further rupture. In some cases, surgery is required to secure the blood vessel that has ruptured at the base of the bleeding.
Rehabilitation After a Stroke
Perhaps the most important part of stroke treatment is determining why it happened or the underlying causes of the stroke. Stroke risk factors include high blood pressure, which weakens arteries over time, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, being overweight, heart disease including atrial fibrillation or aFib, excessive alcohol intake or illegal drug use, and sleep apnea. By making the right lifestyle choices and having a good medical management plan moving forward, the risk of another stroke can be greatly reduced.
That’s because if you have had a stroke, you are at high risk for having another one. One in four stroke survivors have another within five years, while the risk of stroke within 90 days of transient ischemic attack or TIA is as high as 17% with the greatest risk during the first week. This is why it becomes so important to determine the underlying causes of the initial stroke. Your doctor may give you medications to manage a condition, such as high blood pressure, and then recommend lifestyle changes, including a different diet and regular exercise.
Rehabilitation after a stroke begins in the hospital, often within only a day or 2 after the stroke. “There are so many things that patients need to fall into place to be functional and independent again after a stroke,” said Razak. “And they always come down to speed and time.” Rehabilitation can help with the transition from the hospital to home and can help prevent another stroke. Recovery time after a stroke is different for everyone and can take weeks, months, or even years. Some people may recover fully, while others may have long-term or lifelong disabilities. Stroke rehabilitation should be thought of as a balance between full recovery and learning how to live most effectively with some deficits that may not be recovered.
Difficulties from a stroke range from paralysis or weakness on one or both sides of the body, fatigue, trouble with cognitive functioning such as thinking and memory, seizures, and mental health issues like depression or anxiety from the fear of having another stroke. Everyone’s rehabilitation will look different based on their difficulties after a stroke but may include speech, physical, and occupational therapy. Speech therapy helps when someone is having problems producing or understanding speech, physical therapy uses exercises that help someone relearn movement and coordination skills, and occupational therapy focuses on improving daily activities, such as eating, dressing, and bathing. Joining a patient support group may help people adjust to life after a stroke, while support from family and friends can also help relieve the depression and anxiety following a stroke. It’s important for stroke patients to let their medical team and loved ones know how they’re feeling throughout their recovery and what they may need help with.
Stroke rehabilitation can be hard work, but just as in the initial treatment of a stroke, time matters in the possibility of a full recovery. Many survivors will tell you that rehabilitation is worth it and recommend using motivators to achieve recovery goals, such as wanting to see a child’s graduation or returning to working in the garden. With Insureyouknow.org, caretakers may keep track of medical treatments and rehabilitation plans in one easy-to-review place so that they may focus on caring for their loved one during the period of recovery from stroke.
May is American Stroke Month which aims to raise awareness of the second leading cause of death.
Gardening for Mental Well-Being
May 15, 2024
Interest in gardening has increased since the pandemic, as more and more people are searching for ways to disconnect from stressful times and reconnect to nature. It turns out that immersing ourselves in green spaces and caring for plants is a form of caring for ourselves. Time spent in nature has been found to improve mental health so much so that gardening has been prescribed by the National Health Service in Great Britain since 2019. But while scientists are just beginning to pay attention to nature’s overall effect on our health, humans have known about the power of gardening for a very long time.
Historic Gardens and Horticultural Therapy
Ancient and modern gardens all over the world, including Persian pleasure gardens, Islamic paradise gardens, Chinese courtyard gardens and Japanese rock gardens, nurture a sense of separation from the chaotic world and provide a place for inward reflection. In addition to sources of food, the Roman Empire treated gardens as a place to cultivate mindfulness. As extensions of the home, Roman gardens were the first outdoor rooms. They served as spaces to rest and marvel at nature’s wonder. By the Middle Ages, hospital gardens modeled after these Roman gardens were seen as integral parts of the hospital, not just to feed patients and grow medicines but to offer patients time outside. But as efficiency and technology took over medical treatment, these spaces went extinct.
Still, the benefits of gardens were not forgotten. In the 1800s, early American psychiatrists began noting links between horticulture and mental health. Born in 1933, the famous neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks believed that gardens and nature were more powerful than any medication. As the scientific evidence of spending time in green spaces leading to better health grew, many hospitals began incorporating gardens into their facilities again and horticultural therapy was developed as a therapeutic practice in the 1970s.
Horticultural therapy involves taking care of plants with specific goals for the patient in mind. For instance, tending to a garden and watching it thrive can help people build self-esteem and feel a sense of accomplishment. Gardening can also lead to life lessons, such as when a plant dies, the person can ask themselves, “What could I have done differently?” Connecting the garden to themself can lead them to think that maybe they can do a little more to take care of themself, too. “It’s really the plants that are the therapists,” says Laura Rumpf, a horticultural therapist who treats patients with dementia through gardening. “Even if somebody can’t necessarily name what it is they’re smelling, the body somehow remembers.” For those with dementia for instance, plants can help them to reminisce which leads to telling stories and sharing memories, an important part of connecting to others and validating their identity.
The Scientific Proof of Nature’s Benefits
Gardening involves exercise, which we know is beneficial to our health, and since people tend to breathe more deeply when they’re outside, outdoor activities can clear the lungs, aid digestion, and improve immune responses. Sunlight also lowers blood pressure and increases vitamin D levels, but the benefits of outdoor gardening extend beyond these physical benefits.
A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Florida found that gardening lowered stress, anxiety and depression in healthy women who attended a gardening class twice a week. “Past studies have shown that gardening can help improve the mental health of people who have existing medical conditions or challenges,” said the principal investigator of the study Charles Guy. “Our study shows that healthy people can also experience a boost in mental well-being through gardening.” In addition to improved mental well-being, interacting with nature has proven cognitive benefits. A 2019 study by University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman showed that green spaces near schools promote cognitive development in children, while adults assigned to public housing in green neighborhoods exhibited better attentional functioning than those assigned to units with less access to green spaces.
Scientists have a few ideas as to why nature is so good for our mental health. One hypothesis is that since our ancestors evolved in the wild and relied on their environment for survival, we have an innate drive to connect with nature. As a species, we may be attracted to plants because we depend on them for food and shelter. Another hypothesis is that spending time in nature triggers a physiological response that lowers stress levels. Throughout human history, trees and water have been an oasis and signaled relaxation. There is an implicit trust in nature that calms our parasympathetic nervous system. Yet a third hypothesis is that nature replenishes cognitive functioning, which restores the ability to concentrate and pay attention. The truth probably lies in a combination of all of these theories.
Gardening Against Loneliness
Perhaps one of the most overlooked yet obvious benefits of gardening is that it can make people feel less alone in the world. While gardening can bring people together through community gardens, one doesn’t even need to be around other people while spending time in nature in order to feel more connected to others. “Nature can be a way to induce awe,” said psychology professor John Zelenski. “One of the things that may come from awe is the feeling that the individual is part of a much bigger whole.”
Gardening can bring people together through a sense of community, as people who garden are rich with expertise that they are willing to share with other gardeners. Master gardeners and local volunteers dedicate their time to empowering other people in the community who are interested in growing their own plants. Simply sharing a gardening blunder is just one way to connect with a fellow gardener. Social connections are important for our mental well-being because they help lower stress, improve resilience, and provide support, while a strong sense of belonging has been shown to lower one’s risk of depression and anxiety.
Community gardens are a great place to connect with others as they offer room for talking during uncomplicated and repetitive tasks. Since gardening can bring together all kinds of people, time in the garden with others can also remind us that we are more alike than not. “Gardens are a great point of connection,” said the director of a London community garden Sarah Alun-Jones. “We often find ourselves talking about where we grew up, our childhood gardens, food we like to grow and cook… and we learn lots along the way.”
If you’re thinking of incorporating gardening into your routine, it doesn’t need to be intimidating. Simply starting by potting indoor plants or taking walks in green spaces during your lunch break are just two simple ways to connect with nature now. At Insureyouknow.org, you may store all of your gardening plans and records, so that you can become the researcher of your own gardening benefits.
Looking after Elderly Parents Remotely
March 1, 2024
Taking care of loved ones without being close by is a challenge. Whether you live a long drive away from aging parents or in another state, long-distance caregiving can become emotionally exhausting. If that sounds like you, know that you are not alone. Nearly 15 percent of caregivers live an average of 450 miles away. If you have recently found yourself looking after your parents from a distance, then here are some simple strategies to help you along the way.
Evaluate Your Strengths and Outsource the Rest
Be honest with yourself about your strengths. Maybe you’re comfortable handling finances but not as comfortable determining medical needs. Pinpointing the areas of need that you’ll be most suitable for is the first step in delegating the rest. You may have siblings who live closer to your parents and are willing to accompany them to their doctor’s visits. Other helpful skills include organization and communication, which could be utilized to organize schedules and communicate with medical professionals and caregivers. Once you determine what you’ll be best at handling, then you can begin to make plans to fill in the gaps.
Create a Team for Support
Speak with the rest of your family and close friends about who can help with your parents’ care. Coordinating with everyone to determine what each person is willing to do will help everyone be on the same page and turn creating a care plan into a team effort. Even if you don’t have any other siblings or family members who are able to help, then you should still meet with your parents and include them in their own care planning. For instance, ask them what you can do that will be most helpful. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to handle everything alone and to try and outsource anything you need help with as much as possible.
Establish Access to Information
Once you determine who the primary caregivers will be and who needs to be in charge of what, then it’s time to make sure those people have access to the appropriate information. Make sure that the person designated to handle bill-paying and account management on behalf of your parents has the ability to do so. Establishing the rights to have medical information released to caregivers as well as decision-making rights is another imperative. This can also be a legal issue down the road, so making sure that you or another trusted party is the power of attorney, who is appointed to make financial and medical decisions, will need to be determined.
Revisit Living Arrangements
Sometimes a loved one’s health requires them to be closer to you. If it’s possible to relocate to where they live or have them move in with you, then that may be something worth exploring. If it’s not possible to live together, then senior living communities have the upside of being able to provide 24/7 care. Many older people don’t require full-time care though, so if relocation isn’t feasible, then hiring a home care aide or personal care assistant is another option.
Schedule Regular In-Person Visits
If you cannot live close to your parents, then making plans to see them will accomplish several things. First, you’ll instantly alleviate some of the caregiver guilt you may be experiencing just by knowing when you’ll be able to visit them next. Second, you’ll be able to check on them in-person, as you may not have an accurate assessment of their condition and needs from a distance. “It’s hard keeping a handle on their health, how they’re doing, physically, mentally, psychologically and emotionally, when you’re not there,” says Amy Goyer, AARP’s family and caregiving expert. “Isolation is a big thing and they can tell you, oh, I’m doing fine and everything on the phone, but is that really what’s happening?”
Lastly, but most importantly, you’ll be able to spend some much-needed quality time with your parents when visiting. If you are not the primary caregiver, then coordinate with them on when the best time to visit is and offer them a break. Plan in advance what you can do when you’re there to help out. Then speak with your parents about what they would like to do with you during your visit. Since visits can go by quickly, especially when there is so much to do, set priorities ahead of time about what’s most important once you’re there.
Remain Connected When You’re Apart
Schedule regular phone calls with your parents and ask for updates from their caregivers. With their permission, you may even choose to attend their telehealth visits and doctor’s appointments virtually. “The frequency of contact is dependent on the type and level of care needed,” says Iris Waichler, author of Role Reversal, How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Aging Parents. “It should be a collaborative decision, if possible, rather than a unilateral mandate from the caregiver.”
Regular communication can keep your bond with your parents strong, as long as it remains an enjoyable experience for all of you.
Take Care of Yourself as Well
Caregiving can come with a heavy emotional load. It will become just as important to check in with yourself in your new role as caregiver. “Caregivers may often feel like they can do more and this can cause ruminating thoughts,” says Brittany Ferri, geriatric care occupational therapist. “In this instance, they may benefit from practicing positive self-care and self-talk along with their loved one to keep the lines of communication open while relieving stress.”
It’s hard to be a good caregiver, when you’re running on empty, so taking care of yourself as well is just as important as taking care of those depending on you. Show yourself compassion, make sure you’re recharging, and be kind to yourself.
Insureyouknow.org
While it can be a challenge to care for your parents from a distance, that doesn’t mean it’s not manageable. By planning ahead and creating a care team, you can make sure your parents are cared for even when you can’t be close at all times. Insureyouknow.org can help you compile care plans, schedules, financial information, and medical records all in one place. Then you can rest easy that you have a plan set in motion, ensuring that your parents will be well-taken care of.
Which is Best: Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account?
February 1, 2024
While a health savings account (HSA) and a flexible savings account (FSA) both help you to set money aside for health care costs, they are not the same. Both accounts are often offered by employers, but it is possible to open an HSA independently as long as you have a HSA-eligible health plan in place. FSAs however are strictly employer-based and can only be contributed to if your employer offers them to you. Here are six key differences to know between HSAs and FSAs.
- An HSA Belongs to You, Not Your Employer
Whether or not you opened up a HSA through your employer-offered insurance, the funds within your HSA belong to you forever. You may even use your HSA to cover health insurance costs if you leave your current job. On the other hand, FSA funds belong to your company, and when you leave them, you forfeit your FSA.
This is not to say a FSA can’t be advantageous, as long as you intend to stay with your current employer. “The FSA basically works with any kind of health insurance plan,” says Roy Ramthun, president of HSA Consulting Services. “So from that perspective, the ‘flexible’ in the name is pretty good.”
- Both Accounts Have Contribution Limits
Each year, the IRS determines maximum annual amounts that can be contributed to both HSAs and FSAs. Employers may also apply their own limits to their employee FSAs. For 2024, the IRS individual contribution limits for HSAs will be $4,150, while the family limit will be twice that. In 2024, the maximum contribution for FSAs will be $3,200. While a HSA has a higher contribution limit, your employer may be contributing to your FSA for you, which may allow you to contribute more of your earnings into your own HSA.
- HSA Funds Carry Over
With an HSA, you may carry over unused funds from year-to-year indefinitely. This is helpful when you have more in your account than you can use before the year’s end. With the HSA, your funds won’t go wasted. This is why it is a great way to save up for unexpected health costs down the road.
Alternatively, FSA funds must be used before the year is over, or you’ll forgo the existing funds when the calendar year starts over. Some employers may allow you to carry over part of the funds or provide you with a grace period to use your funds, which is generally two and a half months. Since FSAs are offered through your employer, it will be important to inform yourself of their policies around the account.
- FSAs are More Accessible at the Beginning of Each Year
While your FSA funds don’t rollover, if you or your employer plan to contribute your entire limit at the beginning of the year, then that entire amount is available to you immediately. HSA funds accumulate over the year, which means that if you need access to more coverage midyear, you may not have enough money in your HSA to pay your medical bills. The upside to this is that you should be able to reimburse yourself for previous medical expenses from your HSA once those funds become available.
- The HSA Can be an Investment Strategy
Unlike an FSA, the HSA can gain interest over time. Couple this with the fact that your funds carry over year to year, and the HSA offers the potential for growing quite a sizable nest egg for potential health care coverage. According to the Fidelity Retiree Health Care Cost Estimate, an average retired couple age 65 in 2023 may need up to $315,000 saved just to cover health care expenses in retirement, while a single individual will need approximately $157,500.
- At 65, the HSA Can Act as a 401K or IRA
Before the age of 65, you will be subject to a 20% penalty if you use your HSA or FSA funds for anything other than medical expenses. But once you’re 65 or older, that fee is waived, which means that those HSA funds are only subject to income taxes no matter how you use them. While you avoid the 20% penalty over the age of 65 with a FSA as well, those funds can still only be used for health care coverage.
Both HSAs and FSAs can prove to be valuable parts of a health coverage plan. Whether or not your employer offers a FSA to you in addition to health insurance coverage for you and your dependents will of course factor into your decision making about whether or not an added HSA will be necessary. Insureyouknow.org can help you store all of your financial and medical information in one place so that you can stay organized and make the best decisions when planning for your family’s health coverage.
(AI)ding the Elderly with AI
January 24, 2024
Forget the golden age, artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing a new silver lining in healthcare. It is revolutionizing health services across the nation and improving patient care, specifically for the elderly population. According to the World Health Organization, AI technology is improving the fields of medicine and public health for older individuals by anticipating potential health risks, fueling drug development, and supporting the personalization of healthcare management.
“Though adoption of AI has been delayed in mental health research and clinical care relative to other fields, it could potentially enhance diagnostic, prognostic, and treatment approaches for the growing aging population,” said Dr. Helmet Karim, assistant professor of psychiatry and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. “With ubiquitous usage of wearable sensors, advancements in explainable AI, and growing acceptance of AI in medicine, these approaches could support increasing clinical demands.”
Here are a few ways AI is helping seniors enter the digital age.
Daily Care & Wellness Monitoring
Scientifically validated AI in-home care solutions like People Power Family are revolutionizing home care, nursing facilities, and assisted living centers by helping older adults in their everyday tasks. This technology can track and collect the health data of individuals to ensure their well-being by detecting falls and changes in behavior that may indicate that an individual has a specific health condition.
AI devices are also being used to monitor patient health from cameras to motion sensors to wearables. Organizations such as SafelyYou are utilizing AI-based fall detection technology to continuously track patient movements and alert staff, effectively decreasing ER visits. On the other hand, CarePredict designs wearable wrist devices that can track an elderly patient’s daily activities including walking, bathing, eating, visits to the bathroom, and periods of sleep.
Managing Medication Schedules
Many elderly individuals face difficulties when it comes to adhering to their medication schedules. AI-powered medical reminder apps such as mPulse Mobile are game changers in that area. They ensure that elderly patients follow their medication regimen, which decreases the likelihood of potential hospital admissions and helps improve patient health outcomes.
Such technologies not only help patients in the short-term, but they also foster the creation of long-term health plans. AI utilizes patient data to predict an individual’s overall response to different forms of treatment and creates a beneficial medication schedule. This method helps increase patient-centered care within the medical field, establishing the welfare of patients.
Guidance During Medical Challenges
AI technologies can help empower patients by providing them with information, support, and guidance for managing specific health conditions. For example, a chatbot called “Vik” was created to help breast cancer patients navigate their diagnosis. This device provides patients with a variety of information through personalized text messages, ranging from comprehensive medical statistics and treatments regarding breast cancer to lifestyle and diet to patients’ rights.
Additionally, AI-powered systems can also detect conditions that go untreated like dementia and late-life depression. Such systems can potentially identify patients with symptoms of certain mental health conditions and provide them with timely information on treatment plans as well as tips on managing their health.
Companionship and Personal Interaction
According to the PEW Research Center, 27% of adults ages 60 and older live alone in the U.S., which indicates that many elderly individuals are in need of social interaction or companionship. AI technologies like ChatGPT can actually be trained to provide emotional and social support to the aging population. For instance, loved ones can set up and customize ChatGPT, ensuring that conversations are targeted to a person’s needs such as news updates, story sharing, light-hearted banter, and more.
But that is not all. Researchers have bigger plans for AI when it comes to the seniors. Dr. Lillian Hung, a researcher at The University of British Columbia and founder of IDEA lab (Innovation in Dementia & Aging) recently introduced AI-powered social robots to West Vancouver’s Amica senior living facility as part of her study. She found that AI-powered social robots have the potential to engage with elderly patients, mitigating their feelings of social isolation and loneliness. This daily interaction can alleviate psychological distress, decrease feelings of anxiety and depression, lower agitation, promote positive facial expressions, and enhance an individual’s overall mood on an everyday basis.
“It [AI robot] sings with you, plays with you, dances with you, follows you – just makes sure you feel that you’re loved,” said Dr. Hung about the adorable robots that have helped some shy residents come out of their rooms. There have been talks of making such robots permanent residents of the facility.
Increased Independence
As more seniors age in place, smart home devices enhanced with AI-powered features are revolutionizing households into spaces that address the needs of every resident. These devices offer support in various ways, including turning lights on and off, adjusting temperature, detecting smoke, monitoring behavior and health, reminding about medications, detecting falls, and even initiating emergency calls.
“AI and sensor data can derive patterns and alerts that inform care, for example, combining sensors with data about individuals that have a history of falls, AI tools can detect bed, chair, and room exits which require immediate response,” said Laurie M. Orlov, principal analyst, Aging and Health Technology Watch.
A few other AI apps listed below can also help seniors live healthier, safer lives:
- Caspar.ai: identifies 10+ health conditions even before symptoms are noticed
- CareDaily.ai: is a fully integrated home health
- CareSmartz360: helps seniors with activities of daily living and communication
- Inspiren: is a healthcare technology company specializing in AI-powered solutions to improve outcomes
- VirtuSense.ai: is a proactive AI that makes healthcare simple, affordable, and accessible
- KamiCare: is an easy-to-install fall management solution
- Sagely: assists with engagement programs in senior living communities
InsureYouKnow.org
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in the healthcare industry by giving older individuals the chance at a new life. This revolutionary technology helps monitor health, creates efficient medication schedules, bolsters social interaction and personal care, and allows elderly patients to be more independent. With insureyouknow.org, you can keep track of the data AI helps collect to improve your health outcomes. With the assistance of AI, seniors are experiencing a digital revival and upgrading to a new level of well-being.
The Pros and Cons of Modern Diets: Part 2
January 15, 2024
There are definitely enough diets out there to make your head spin. But once you start putting in the research, there are commonalities to almost every diet, including the lifestyle recommendation to exercise more and stress less. When it comes to food, if there is any one thing everyone can agree on avoiding, it is processed foods. A few days ago we explored ten modern diet trends. Today we will cover facts around ten additional diets:
11. The Flexitarian Diet
The Flexitarian Diet is a flexible vegetarian diet. While you’re focused on plant-based foods, you may still occasionally eat meat. In this way, it is quite similar to a Mediterranean diet and is ranked just behind it as the #2 Best Diet Overall according to the U.S. News Best Diet Rankings. While the diet is flexible, there are guidelines. On a flexitarian diet, you should choose high-quality animal products, such as organic, free-range, and grass-fed choices. Lean meats are best, and any meat that you eat should be limited to just a few times a week. The benefits of the diet include weight loss, a decreased risk of both heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and cancer prevention. The risk of eating less meat is that you suffer from nutrient deficiencies, such as not getting adequate amounts of B12 in your diet.
12. A Volumetrics Diet
With a volumetrics diet, the promise is that you may still eat a large amount of food and still lose weight. The concept was created by PhD Barbara Rolls so that people could find healthy foods they enjoy without depriving themselves. With volumetrics, the focus is on feeling full. Food is separated into high energy density and low energy density categories. People should eat mainly low energy density foods, which have fewer calories and more volume. The diet relies heavily on water-based foods, or fruits and vegetables. In short, the diet is effective in helping people lose weight and doesn’t come with any risks. People are simply learning how to make smarter food choices, focusing on eating nutrient-dense foods that won’t add unhealthy calories to their diets.
13. Intermittent Fasting
While most diets focus on what to eat, intermittent fasting is based on when to eat. When intermittent fasting, you only eat during a specific window of time. “Our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer,” says neuroscientist Mark Mattson. “In prehistoric times, before humans learned to farm, they were hunters and gatherers who evolved to survive — and thrive — for long periods without eating.” In the age of screen time, people stay up later, eat more, and exercise less. Adopting a lifestyle of intermittent fasting may help curtail the negative side effects of our modern world. “Many things happen during intermittent fasting that can protect organs against chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, age-related neurodegenerative disorders,” Mattson says. “Even inflammatory bowel disease and many cancers.” One study showed, however, that intermittent fasting was not proven to be an effective solution in both short term weight loss and long term weight management. Going too long without eating can actually cause the body to start storing fat in response to being starved. Fasting also isn’t safe for everyone; children, pregnant women, people with type 1 diabetes, and anyone with an eating disorder are strongly advised against intermittent fasting.
14. A Pescatarian Diet
With a pescatarian diet, people focus on eating a vegetarian diet while allowing fish and seafood as additional sources of protein. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are believed to reduce the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes, as well as regulate inflammation in the body. In addition to the fat found in fish, a diet high in vegetables is also associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. One study even showed that a pescatarian diet protected against colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of U.S. cancer deaths. The biggest disadvantage to eating a lot of seafood is the consumption of mercury because of polluted waters. The risk can be minimized by avoiding fish known to be high in mercury and focusing on fish low in mercury, including canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, shrimp, and catfish.
15. An Ornish Diet
The Ornish diet was created by Dr. Dean Ornish to help people reverse heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. In addition to dietary changes, the Ornish diet is a lifestyle that incorporates moderate exercise, stress reduction techniques, and social support. It is a vegetarian diet that limits fat to ten percent of one’s daily calorie intake, as well as allowing only ten milligrams of cholesterol a day. On an Ornish diet, people may eat any fruit and vegetable, whole grains, legumes, soy products, and herbs and spices. Small amounts of egg whites, nuts and seeds may be eaten, but meat, fish, and egg yolks are eliminated. The plan also recommends taking a multivitamin and B12 and fish oil supplements. While vegetarian diets can lower the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, the Ornish diet is shown to reduce coronary artery disease after just one year. Because of how many foods are eliminated, nutrient deficiencies are a risk and people with a history of eating disorders are advised against the diet.
16. The TLC Diet
The TLC diet is an acronym for Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes and was created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with an aim to improve cholesterol levels. The program combines diet and physical activity to lower high cholesterol and improve heart health. The diet limits saturated fats and cholesterol from foods, and increases plant stanols and sterols that can be found in whole grains, nuts, legumes, olive oil, and avocado oil. It also urges increases in soluble fiber from fruit, beans, and oats. Both soluble fiber and plant stanols and sterols block the body’s absorption of cholesterol and fats. Similar to the DASH diet, the TLC diet also limits salt to 2,300 milligrams a day. Increasing physical activity is a key part of the diet, as a lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for heart disease.
17. An Anti-Inflammatory Diet
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on what you should eat and what you shouldn’t eat in order to reduce inflammation in the body. In this way, it is a simple plan for people to follow. On an anti-inflammatory diet, people stay away from ultra-processed foods, which have little to no nutritional value and are often high in fat, sugar, and salt. Research shows that sugars, grains, and salt from these highly processed foods can alter the bacteria in the gut, damage intestinal lining, and switch on inflammatory genes in cells. These processed foods are also linked to shorter life spans, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. To combat inflammation, aim for whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and small amounts of low-fat dairy. You may add spices to these foods to increase both flavor and the health benefits. The evidence in minimizing inflammation in the body is strongest against arthritis, gastrointestinal and heart health, and autoimmune diseases.
18. The Noom Diet
The Noom Diet is an anti-inflammatory diet that comes with a costly app, $50 a month to be exact. While it encourages more of certain foods, it doesn’t ban anything. Noom uses colors to label food, so green labeled foods like produce are encouraged and orange labeled foods like pizza should be minimized. Noom labels do contradict U.S. Dietary Guidelines which support healthy fats like olive oil; on a Noom diet, olive oil is an orange-labeled food. The main benefit of the app is guided support for people who struggle to make big lifestyle changes on their own. Otherwise, simply following an anti-inflammatory diet as described above will be far easier to navigate and afford.
19. The Pritikin Diet
The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise written by engineer Nathan Pritikin in 1979 recommended a low-fat, high-fiber diet paired with regular exercise to avoid heart disease and maintain a healthy weight, protocols that have become standard today. He suggested starting meals with a soup or salad, limiting high-calorie drinks and foods, avoiding snacking, eating whole foods, limiting salt and red meat, exercising, and controlling stress. The Pritikin diet is proven to help people lose weight and is approved as being heart-healthy.
20. The Zone Diet
Similar to the Noom diet, Dr. Barry Sears developed the Zone diet to reduce inflammation. It involves rules, which include eating within one hour of waking, starting each meal with protein followed by healthy carbs and fats, eating every 4-6 hours, eating lots of omega-3 fats and polyphenols, and drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day. Before every meal, a person should assess their hunger level, and if they are not hungry, then they are in the zone, hence the diet’s name. The Zone diet aims to control hormone levels through diet in order to reduce inflammation. Because of this, the diet is popular with people who have diabetes. There is no evidence, however, that supports Sears’ claims that the diet reduces inflammation. Experts recommend simply staying away from processed foods if inflammation is a concern.
While there is a plethora of diets out there to try, there are factors that nearly every diet has in common, such as a focus on whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Insureyouknow.org can help you keep track of your lifestyle changes, including physical activity monitoring, meal plans, diet changes, and medical records. While you put in the hard work to find which methods will help you most, Insureyouknow.org will take one chore off your plate by keeping all of your information in one organized place.
The Pros and Cons of Modern Diets: Part 1
January 1, 2024
Wherever you get your information, whether it’s watching TV or scrolling through your phone, it’s likely you’ve been inundated with wellness trends that promise to solve all of your health problems. With so many different diets swirling around in the sphere of information, it can become difficult to decide which one is the right fit for you. Here are the facts around ten modern diets:
1. The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, introduced by Harvard in 1993, is not limited to foods and includes daily exercise and the social benefits of sharing meals. It is also one of the few diets that recommends a daily dose of wine. The diet is primarily plant-based with an emphasis on healthy fats, such as from olive oil and oily fish, which is the preferred source of animal protein. Poultry, eggs, and dairy can be eaten in small amounts daily, but red meat is limited to only a few times a month. Research supports the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, which include a 25% reduced risk of developing heart disease, a 30% reduced rate of death from stroke, and 46% likelihood to live 70 years or more. Since the diet does not include serving sizes or a recommended overall calorie intake, some people may find that they gain weight because of the increased intake in healthy fats, which often comprise nearly half of your overall calories on a Mediterranean diet. This issue can be avoided though by keeping track of your overall calorie consumption.
2. The Keto Diet
Though recently popular, the Keto diet was first put in place during the 1920’s as a treatment for people with epilepsy after research showed that the diet reduced seizures. The diet consists mainly of fats (75 percent of daily calorie intake), a small amount of protein (20 percent of daily calorie intake), and very little carbohydrates (only five percent of daily calorie intake). The aim of the diet is to put the body into ketosis, where the body’s main source of energy comes from ketones instead of glucose. While the keto diet can kickstart weight loss, it may not be feasible to stick to this diet for a long amount of time. Even if the keto diet may help people with obesity and diabetes, these benefits wane after a year, and the diet often leads to higher levels of LDL cholesterol. The main concern with the keto diet according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is that it cuts out too many food groups, including adequate sources of fiber in addition to a dramatically low carbohydrate intake.
3. The Paleo Diet
A Paleo diet is based on foods that humans may have eaten during the Paleolithic Era, about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. The diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds. These are thought of as the foods that people would have hunted and gathered. It is quite similar to the Mediterranean diet, but it does not include foods that came from small farms, such as grains, legumes and dairy products. The idea behind the diet is that our genes are not well adjusted for the modern diet that grew out of these farm foods, which changed what our primary food sources were before our bodies could adapt to the change. Believers in the Paleo diet think that chronic illness is a modern problem and is therefore rooted in our modern diets, which include sugar and highly-processed foods. Objections to this include archeological evidence of 30,000 year old tools found for grinding grain, as well as evidence of the expression of genes related to the digestion of starches and lactose. Short-term studies show that the Paleo diet might help with weight loss and improved blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. One study in Spain found that the diet was linked to lower levels of heart disease, but that link was attributed to avoiding processed foods and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables.
4. The Atkins Diet
The Atkins diet was developed in the 1960’s by cardiologist Robert C. Atkins. The purpose of the diet is to lose weight, while Atkins claimed that the diet was a healthy lifelong approach to eating. The diet limits carbs with a focus on avoiding sugar, white flour and refined carbs. Instead of simply limiting carbs, the diet teaches participants to calculate net carbs which deduct a meal’s fiber content from the carbohydrate content. In addition to weight loss, the diet can improve triglyceride levels at least in the short term, but there are no studies that prove any long term benefits. The diet can cause nutritional deficiencies such as fiber, which are often found in complex carbs like fruits. Because the diet can cause ketosis, it is not recommended for anyone with kidney disease or who is pregnant or breastfeeding.
5. A Low Carb Diet
A low carb diet simply limits carbs and places importance on protein and fat. The diet is generally used for weight loss but may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Most low carb diets recommend 20 to 57 grams of carbohydrates a day, while the Dietary Guidelines for Americans say that carbohydrates should be 45% to 65% of your total daily calorie intake. The problems with a low carb diet include constipation, headaches, and muscle cramps while the long term health risks are still unknown.
6. The Vegan Alkaline Diet
The Vegan Alkaline diet is based on the premise promoted by Robert O. Young that everything we eat affects our pH balance. According to Young, an acidic environment in the body leads to diseases, like cancer, and that by promoting an alkaline environment with food, these diseases can be avoided. Alkaline foods include fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables, while acidic foods to be avoided include animal products, like meat, fish, dairy, and eggs. Science doesn’t support Young’s claims though, and in 2017, he was jailed for practicing medicine without a license. While the diet has become controversial, the foods that the diet focuses on have health benefits outside of pH balance. In short, a diet rich in plant-based whole foods is beneficial, while an excess of processed foods is not.
7. The Dukan Diet
The Dukan diet was developed in the 1970’s by Pierre Dukan, a French doctor that specializes in weight loss. In 2000, Dukan published The Dukan Diet, which outlines a four-phase weight loss plan that includes a high-protein and low-carb diet. A study that followed women on the diet found that weight loss was caused by a calorie deficit and that because the diet lacked important nutrients, it would be harmful to health in the long run.
8. The DASH Diet
DASH is an acronym that stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The diet is designed to treat hypertension, or high blood pressure, and may also help to lower levels of LDL cholesterol, both of which are factors that may lead to heart disease and stroke. The DASH diet is rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, fiber, and protein through vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The diet limits salt to 2,300 milligrams a day, as well as sugar and saturated fats.
9. A Low FODMAP Diet
FODMAP are certain sugars that might cause intestinal distress, so on a low FODMAP diet, participants avoid foods high in FODMAP, such as dairy, wheat, beans, and certain vegetables and fruits like asparagus and apples. Foods low in FODMAP include meat, eggs, grains like rice, quinoa, and oats, and certain vegetables and fruits like cucumbers and strawberries. The low FODMAP diet is meant to help people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth. “It’s not a diet anyone should follow for long,” says gastroenterologist Hazel Galon Veloso. “It’s a short discovery process to determine what foods are troublesome for you.” The diet is only meant to be followed for two to six weeks before slowly reintroducing high FODMAP foods. Research has shown that the diet reduces symptoms in up to 86% of people but should not be followed by anyone who is underweight as it may cause unwanted weight loss.
10. The MIND Protocol
MIND is another acronym that stands for Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. The MIND protocol was created by Dr. Martha Clare Morris in 2015 because of research that had shown both the Mediterranean and DASH diets had been associated with the preservation of cognitive functioning. The combination of both diets showed less cognitive decline than when just one of the diets was followed by study participants. While both diets focus on eating plant-based foods and limiting high saturated fat foods, the MIND diet recommends specific brain healthy foods, including three servings of whole grains and one vegetable a day and six servings of leafy greens, five servings of nuts, and four servings of beans a week. The main challenge to the diet is that if participants do not cook, then they may find it difficult to include all of the diet’s recommended components.
While you do the research in finding which diet and lifestyle will suit you best, Insureyouknow.org can help you keep track of your grocery bills, meal planning, exercise logs, and food journals. That way, you can focus on enjoying the rewards of your improved lifestyle.