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Health Wellness WINTER 2017
Mind, body and spirit: How to make resolutions for optimal wellness
Your Guide to Health & Wellness
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Healthy resolutions to strengthen body, mind and spirit
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By Cecily Whiteside “This year I’m going to lose 30 pounds and get in shape!” How many of us have said these very words as one year turns into the next? Every year, millions of Americans make New Year’s resolutions on January 1, only to let themselves drift back to their old ways of living and thinking by the end the month. In order to be a healthier you at the end of 2017, small, maintainable steps are the key to lifelong changes. But health is not only about the physical. Overall health incorporates body, mind and spirit. Like a stool that needs three legs in order to support you, all three of these aspects combined create balance and peace, which in turn creates a healthier life.
Strengthen your body For the physical side of the tripod, Dr. Fletch Colwell with Primary Care Partners suggests moving more and changing one or two things about your eating for maximum effect. “The first thing I’d suggest is to never drink your calories,” Colwell said. “Generally, these are empty calories that add too much sugar to the diet.” Soda may be the first thing that comes to mind, but Colwell also referred to beer, wine and fruit juices. “All of these add calories to the diet, but do not create a sense of fullness. It’s easy to overdo,” he said. Colwell’s second suggestion is to take one or two meals each week in which you typically use prepared foods, and make them from scratch. He said that by bringing his lunch from home every day, he eats healthier than he would if he were to eat out. Colwell’s colleague, Dr. Robert McLaughlin often says, “Ounces come off in the exercise, and pounds come off in the kitchen.” Even so, adding exercise to your day will increase overall health and wellbeing.
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“If you are sedentary, add 30 minutes of walking a day,” Colwell said. “It can be in 10-minute intervals or all at once. If you are already moving, add either time or intensity. Walk faster or longer, or add other kinds of exercise.”
Strengthen your mind A Harvard Medical School study found that learning a new skill has been shown to create new and vital pathways in your brain. Retiree Cecily Kelln has embraced lifelong learning now that she’s not working. “I can enjoy some things now that I had to skip over during my busy years raising children,” Kelln said. “Now I can stop a minute and enjoy new things. I’ve taken a class on beekeeping, one on property taxes and exemptions, one on hip replacements and some writing classes. I’m lucky in that my husband, Al, is curious, so he signs up for these classes and I go, too. I don’t expect to become an expert, but I know more than I used to.” Another way to keep your mind sharp and healthy is to repurpose some of the skills that made you successful in your career in other venues. Volunteer on the board of a cause you believe in, or use your skills to help others. Some new skills are just for fun, such as crosswords, Sudoku or adult coloring books. “I decided I wanted to learn how to solve a Rubik’s cube, so I got a book and taught myself,” Colwell said. Some new skills have a definite purpose like tying flies, knitting or cooking. Marion Day recently went from a flip phone to an iPhone. “I am not a computer person,” she said. “I don’t keep up with technology. But I want to stay in contact with my grandchildren and they’re texters. It was a steep learning curve, but I got help from my daughter and my granddaughter and pretty soon I was iPhone savvy. I still call them with questions, and when I visit with them, they always
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In order to be a healthier you at the end of 2017, small, maintainable steps are the key to lifelong changes. But health is not only about the physical. Overall health incorporates body, mind and spirit. show me something new. It’s an ongoing process.” Each new skill hones the mind, increasing its flexibility and health.
Strengthen your spirit Developing a strong spirit can involve incorporating prayer, meditation and journaling. Joan Liversidge taps into this by doing yoga. “When I practice yoga each morning, I turn the radio off and get into a prayerful, meditative place. It’s a spiritual discipline, but it affects all of my being,” Liversidge said. “I am a steward of my health, and this meditation is one way I take care of the body I’ve been given. My body has changed as I’ve aged. I am a recovering perfectionist, so part of my meditation includes being nonjudgmental of my 67-year-old self.” Day said she has journaled her prayers since the ’70s. “When the truth goes from my brain through my hand to the
words on the page, my body becomes calm,” she said. “I take that calm and carry it on into my day. I am more happy, more grateful. I think this has had a profound effect on the physical, too.” Kelln uses a 10-year journal, in which she writes four lines each night before bed. They provide a recap of her day and enable her to look back at what she was doing a year ago. It helps build continuity and strengthens her memory. Practicing any one of these healthy resolutions can add to your quality of life, but try picking one from each aspect—mind, body and spirit. An incremental change in each of these disciplines may increase your overall satisfaction, contentment, sharpness and strength. Step up on your own personal three-legged stool this year and reach for the sky. ■
Start the new year by being the best you Challenge yourself for the new year with The Best You, a six-week fitness challenge offered by Crossroads Fitness, designed to help its members engage in healthy activities. The challenge is free for Crossroads members. Earn points by exercising at the club, attending classes, training and club events. By engaging your healthy lifestyle, you will become the best you. By trying different activities, group exercise classes, racquetball and training, you are able to find the workout routine you like the best. The more you put into it, the more points you will get and the more prizes you will earn. Crossroads will help guide you to become consistent with your exercise and succeed in your new year’s fitness goal. Free seminars about nutrition and goal setting will help you jumpstart the new year. The challenge also includes a weight loss component. Register now and choose to start the challenge on January 9 or 23. For more information about joining Crossroads, call 242-8746 for the Airport Location and 241-7800 for the Downtown Location.
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Explore New Dimensions for body, mind and spirit Join fellow seniors in New Dimension’s dynamic, innovative and engaging classes focused on academic and personal enrichment. Areas of study include art, hiking, geology, gardening, travel, meditation, film, health, literature, history and many more. For $50 per term, members may enroll in any number of classes as long as space is available. Course offerings and registration are managed online, but for those without computers, there will be an assisted registration session from 2-4 p.m. on Monday, January 16 at Unitarian Universalist Church, 536 Ouray Ave. For more information on New Dimensions, visit www.newdimen sionsgj.org or call 314-9911.
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Our brain benefits from good hearing
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By Kathleen McCarthy
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nnoyance, inconvenience or worse? Hearing loss happens so slowly and subtly that we may think that all we need to do is adjust to it over the years. We’ll learn to live with it. So we’ll turn up the volume on the TV and radio. In conversations, we’ll be sure to focus so that we hear what people have to say. But hearing loss doesn’t slow down as we get older. For those of us who are 65 years old, a third have some hearing loss. By the time we’re 75, more than half of us will have difficulty hearing.
The everyday effects Hearing loss that develops with age is called presbycusis. It’s when the piercing sounds of sirens, smoke alarms and doorbells aren’t heard. It’s when we don’t catch the high-pitched voices of women and children. We also notice that sounds get distorted and messages get twisted. Hearing loss that goes on for some time makes people depressed, anxious and paranoid. This can worsen to the point that there’s less getting together with family and friends, and less interest in social outings. It can lead to other problems like dementia, accidents and deconditioning both mentally and physically.
How hearing loss happens There are a few reasons why hearing loss develops. It tends to run in families without any specific explanation. It can also result from noisy environments, childhood infections, medications, heart disease or stroke. Injury to our hearing occurs in mostly two ways. The first is when the auditory nerve is traumatized, which doesn’t allow electrical impulses to get to the brain. The other way is structural damage to tiny hair cells, the ear canal, or
the eardrum so that vibration of the sound waves can’t travel to the inner ear to transmit the signals to the brain.
How to manage it Talk to a hearing specialist. They can test your hearing and suggest how to best manage the changes in hearing. Hearing aids are now considered microcomputers, using the latest technology to respond to and handle various sounds. Until now, traditional hearing aids weren’t able to process sound fast enough to help you hear all the way around you. They would focus just on the speech directly in front of you and suppress everything else. But with the Oticon Opn, a new revolutionary hearing instrument, you’re able to hear in all directions—the way you were born to hear. It allows you to open up your hearing while balancing all the sounds around you, separating speech from noise and letting you focus on what’s most important. Oticon Opn also syncs seamlessly with your mobile devices, running your hearing aids into a wireless headset that you can control with an easy-to-use app. It even has a “locate my hearing aids” feature to help find lost hearing aids.
Use it; Don’t lose it Our entire brain benefits when we hear well. Researchers have found that those who use hearing aids have higher cognitive functioning than those without hearing aids. Those who use hearing devices on a regular basis lower their chance of dementia. Using hearing devices early rather than later preserves our sensory and intellectual functioning that we’ll need for all of our life. For more information on the Oticon Opn and to get your hearing evaluated, contact AAA Hearing at 243-6440. ■
WINTER 2017
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Common sense upgrades for a safer bathroom By Lynn Pribus
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lthough kitchens are a top candidate for remodeling and upgrading, “Remodeling Magazine” sees bathroom remodels as being an even better investment from a financial standpoint. An important consideration these days is enhanced bathroom safety, including features like grab bars, roll-in showers and good lighting. It makes little difference in the cost of a remodel, but can be a valuable factor increasing the marketability of a property or the ability of residents to age in place. It’s time to change the image of these safety features as being just for seniors. For example, people need to see grab bars as safety bars that can also provide children or any-aged persons with disabilities gain an extra ounce of security with a steadying bar.
Grab bars come in designs that provide architectural interest as well as safety. Materials include teak, various metallic finishes and even glow-in-the-dark acrylic. An interesting new gizmo is a grab bar with build-in LED lighting, which creates an all-in-one night light/grab handle. These can be especially useful for folks with poor eyesight. Barrier-free homes are also important. Removing shower sills, widening doorways and installing accessible handles on doors, sinks and faucets allows owners to remain in their home as they age. It also increases the value of the home. More and more the public is seeing the advantages of a barrier-free home, whether it is new construction or a renovation project. For instance, many people are replacing those aging fiberglass
all-in-one shower/tub combinations with tiled, walk-in showers with no sill. This means easier access for persons with disabilities as well as older people. A shower seat is another nice feature. While a removable plastic seat is useful, it may not be completely stable and also has a hospital feel to it. Instead, try installing a spa-like seat of tile or teak wood. A tile bench, of course, is permanent. Teak is waterproof and elegant, and the bench could be either built in or one that folds up. It’s smart to put the shower controls right by the entrance so users can stay dry while the water is warming up. In addition, technology has made some nice advances in user-friendly fixtures. A handheld shower option is a worthwhile investment and there are single-handle mixers offering easier control
over flow and temperature for sinks, tubs and showers. There are even touchscreen-operated showers. Finally, it’s prudent to have welllit bathrooms. Even during sleep hours, it’s important to have sufficient lighting between bed and bathroom. Illuminated light switches are easy to find in the dark and those illuminated grab bars are perfect. Another tactic would be a sensor light that goes on automatically when someone enters a room. A third option would be attractive nightlights that provide adequate light. They come in a variety of styles from purely practical to whimsical. ■
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A walk on the back is good for the body The healing power of ashiatsu wasn’t going to turn into a torture chamber.
By Jan Weeks
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’m a sucker for a good massage, but when my regular therapist told me she had learned a new technique and would like to give me an ashiatsu treatment, I wondered what the heck a dog had to do with anything. Then I discovered that ashiatsu is an ancient method that involves a massage therapist literally walking on one’s back. People have been walking all over me for years, so I figured, why not? And my therapist, Rhonda, is a petite woman, so how bad could it be? Then I started thinking about it. Would I have to lie on the floor? Would there be padding? And since I’m, shall we say, rather full-figured in some areas, would certain parts of me hurt? I gritted my teeth and pulled up to DeLong’s Holistic Health, holding my trepidation at bay. Rhonda DeLong greeted me and led me to what I hoped
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Ashiatsu has been around more than 3,000 years and means “foot” (ashi) and “pressure” (atsu). Different styles have originated in India, Japan, Thailand, China and the Philippines. Originally the practitioners were more concerned with chi, the body’s flow of energy, instead of relieving aching muscles. They concentrated on putting pressure on the body’s meridians to enable energy to flow more smoothly and harmoniously. Western practitioners are educated in anatomy and physiology as well as balancing the energetic body like yin and yang, the male and female forces inherent in everyone. Many early forms of ashiatsu were not considered massage but a healing process. Buddhist monks would massage only clothed people. Other specialists oiled the bodies and used a rope for balance. Ashiatsu didn’t become popular in the U.S. until the new millennium and is used to improve posture, ease pain and stress, and provide a deep massage while staying gentle.
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In the massage room, I was relieved to see that the usual table had been lowered and two wooden bars had been installed in the ceiling for her to hold onto as she walked all over me. I stopped worrying about being uncomfortable, took off my clothes and lay face down as if I were going to get my usual bodywork. DeLong came in and spread massage oil over my back and before I knew it she had hoisted herself onto the table and I felt her step onto my shoulders. As she worked her soles into my muscles, I asked if she could notice the normal lumps and bumps of tenseness that we accumulate on a daily basis.
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“At first I couldn’t,” she said, “because I was concentrating on technique, but now I’m more able to tune in to what I used to sense through my hands.” She also explained that foot massage allows her to go deeper into muscles and saves her hands and wrists from overwork. It can be more beneficial for clients who are particularly large or well muscled because she can exert more force without it being painful. Her toes crept up to my neck, and keeping one foot on my upper back, she kneaded and stretched my cervical spine, lengthening my neck as her toes put pressure on the base of my skull. I relaxed into the work and let her have her way with me, which she did by moving to my mid-back, using her heels to work around my scapula. She also folded each arm separately back onto my waist and gave me a cloth strip to hold on to, which gave her a different angle and allowed her
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to work farther under my shoulder blades. By now I was almost comatose from relaxation, but she moved into my lower back. I was reminded of a M*A*S*H episode, in which Col. Blake is transferred to Tokyo and Hawkeye and Trapper John go and try to convince him to return. Henry’s lying on a table as a young woman walks on his back. He sighs and tells her to go a little deeper under his scapula, then says, “Easy on that pelvic girdle, honey. It’s the only one I’ve got.” Now I was experiencing firsthand what he was talking about. DeLong eased across my hips and worked into my glutes and across to my joints, prompting me to sigh in ecstasy. But the best was yet to come. After she had worked on my thighs and calves, she moved to my feet, which lay on a pillow. As the young folks say, “OMG!” The best foot massage I’ve ever had paled in comparison as she wiggled her toes across the soles of my feet and even
into my toes. I felt as if every muscle in my body was sighing with happiness as I melted into the table. All I wanted to do was stay there forever, letting her balance on Photos cour tesy of Ashiatsu Deepfeet Bar Therapy my feet. She stepped down and had me turn over, To contact DeLong’s Holistic though I felt almost too relaxed to Health, call 589-6790. make that much effort, and finished the session with regular massage Tell her Jan sent you techniques on my face, arms and legs. As she quietly left the room, Learn more about ashiatsu I wondered if I had the strength and other gravity-assisted to dress and get to my checkbook. barefoot bar bodywork by I managed somehow and booked calling the Deepfeet Southwest another session then and there. The best part of the deal is that Ashiatsu Center in Telluride at Delong keeps her rates reason480-215-6656. able, as she feels that feeling good shouldn’t break the bank. ■
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Taking care of your teeth is important at any age
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ccording to the American Dental Association, an old assumption was that as we age we would lose our natural teeth. But that’s not the case for today’s older adults who are keeping their natural teeth longer than ever before. A healthy mouth and teeth help you look good, eat delicious and nutritious foods, and speak clearly and confidently. Maintaining good oral health habits now is especially important, as unhealthy bacteria can be associated with serious medical conditions. It really only takes a few simple steps, brushing and flossing daily, visiting your dentist regularly and eating nutritious foods to take care of your oral health. As people age, subtle changes in the mouth can occur, including: • dry mouth due to some medications, which can cause difficulty chewing, speaking and swallow-
ing. It also leads to cavities and can cause burning mouth syndrome and other soft tissue problems. • increased risk of gum disease that can lead to tooth loss if left untreated. • risk of oral cancer, which can be debilitating and disfiguring, as surgery and treatment can affect appearance, speech and ability to eat. • problems with cavities or decay due to inadequate brushing and flossing. Decay that goes untreated usually gets worse, resulting in pain and the potential loss of teeth. Marillac Clinic provides full-scope dental care for all ages. Preventive care, fillings, crowns, bridges and dentures are provided at low cost, based on the individual’s income. For more information, call 298-6320. ■
The medicinal benefits of CBD: an alternative to THC C
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annabidiol (CBD) is one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. The only difference between CBD and other cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is that CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t produce any euphoric or intoxicating effects. But when compared to THC, the body needs a larger concentrate of CBD to have a noticeable effect. There are two different types of receptors in your body specifically designed to uptake cannabinoids. CB1 is a type of receptor found within the brain, influencing neurons, neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. CB2 are receptors located throughout the body and work alongside the lymphatic system, which is responsible for the immune system. Over the past couple of decades, hundreds of clinicians have discovered that CBD works effectively in treating drug-resistant epilepsy, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s website. It has also been proven to have neuroprotective properties, work as an anti-inflammatory, increase cancer cell death and decrease tumor growth.
According to a 2015 article written by scientist Sean McAllister and published in the Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. CBD may also inhibit tumors’ metastasis. It can also be used as an antipsychotic and antianxiety medicine for people with anxiety or schizophrenia. Research continues on using CBD in treatments for substance abuse. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there have not been any significant side effects across a wide range of dosages that have been applied through various forms of CBD administration. At Kush Gardens, you can find a variety of CBD products in the form of topical creams, edibles, pills and smokeables. Staff members are updated on the latest industry advancements and state regulations first-hand from vendors and the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED). For more information on CBD and what it can do for chronic pain and other ailments, visit Kush Gardens at 4550 Hwy 6&24 in DeBeque (I-70 Exit 62). Security is provided on-site for the safety of senior citizens and veterans. ■
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WINTER 2017
New year, healthier you By Scott Rollins, MD
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t’s a new year, and time to reflect on the old and hopes for the new. Your health, like so many things, does not rely on a secret key that suddenly unlocks the pathway to success. We can’t have instant success, instant loyalty and trust, instant weight loss or instant health. Success starts with a desire, a vision and a plan. Success happens due to effort and perseverance. Great health is achieved with everyday decisions that will compound over time to produce results.
Here’s what to do this year for a healthier you. Make easy decisions every day that add up to great health. It is just as easy to do the right things as it is not to do them. Eating that greasy cheeseburger and fries with a super-size soda is an easy choice. It’s not likely to kill you today, but compounded over time, it will. It’s just as easy to eat something healthy. Skipping exercise is easy. So is making the choice to exercise. Great health starts with having the right attitude to make the right choices. Nutrition is our first medicine. Avoid sugar, high-glycemic carbs, inflammatory trans-fats and hydrogenated oils. Stay away from overly processed, calorie-dense, nutrient poor foods. Be suspicious if food comes in a bag, box, can or jar. Avoid fried or charred foods. Don’t eat unfermented soy. Limit excess caffeine and alcohol. Eat your fruits and veggies. Eat at least six to eight servings per day of raw, preferably organic, fruits and vegetables. Include one green salad entrée daily with many colored vegetables. Berries are the best fruits. Get protein from
lean sources, such as fish, venison, grass-finished meats and poultry— all containing more of the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats. Include healthy oils, such as coconut and olive oil. Snack on seeds and nuts. Practice mindful eating. Take time to stop, savor and enjoy. Seek a balance of food groups. Use a small plate to help with portion control and stop eating before you are stuffed. It takes about 20 minutes for the mind to catch up with the stomach, and we usually eat way more than necessary to be satisfied. We are designed to exercise, period. Many hormones and enzymes in the body only work when stimulated by exercise. Some exercise is better than none. Strive to exercise every day. Ideally we should divide our efforts equally into working on flexibility, aerobic conditioning and strength training. Get some sleep. Sleep is a very active process and is essential for great health. During stage three and four of deep sleep, our body rests and repairs, producing growth hormone, sex hormones and thyroid. During REM sleep our mental body awakens, refreshes and reorganizes for another day. Chronic stress is a killer. It fuels the stress hormone cortisol, which leads both directly and indirectly to consequences that promote disease. We can avoid some stressors, such as situations or people, but ultimately we have to learn to manage the unavoidable stressors in life. This means taking time every day to break the stress cycle—easily done with a few minutes of deep breathing or grounding activities such as mediation or yoga. Simply taking a casual stroll will lower cortisol levels. Good nutrition, exercise and sleep also help with stress control. ■
Scott Rollins, MD, is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado and Bellezza Laser Aesthetics.
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Alternative ways to manage the pain of osteoarthritis
Healthy Geezer, By Fred Cicetti
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s we age, many of us develop chronic health ailments, such as osteoarthritis (OA), the most common form of arthritis. In fact, 27 million Americans suffer every day from the discomfort and stiffness caused by OA, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You get osteoarthritis when cartilage, the cushioning tissue within the joints, wears down, producing stiffness and pain. The disease affects both men and women. By age 65, more than 50 percent of us have osteoarthritis in at least one joint. You can get osteoarthritis in any joint, but it usually strikes those that support weight. Common signs include joint pain, swelling and tenderness. However, only a third of people whose x-rays show osteoarthritis report symptoms.
Drug treatment Treatments for osteoarthritis include exercise, joint care, dieting, medicines and surgery. For pain relief, doctors usually start with acetaminophen because the side effects are minimal if taken according to instructions. If that does not relieve pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen and naproxen may be used. Opioids (narcotics) are sometimes prescribed, too. Long-term use of NSAIDs and opioids can have dangerous side effects, especially for those who also suffer from kidney, stomach or heart conditions. Opioids carry additional risks for older adults, such as heart problems, addiction and other accidents caused by extreme drowsiness.
Medical food The term “medical food,” as defined in the Orphan Drug Act, is “a food which is formulated to be consumed or administered enterally (through digestion) under the supervision of a
physician and which is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation.” Physicians use prescription medical foods to treat a variety of conditions in dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedics, pain management, podiatry, rheumatology and vascular health. Medical foods are not required to undergo premarket review or approval by FDA. They are exempted from the labeling requirements for health claims and nutrient content claims under the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. Manufacturers of medical foods must comply with all applicable FDA requirements for foods. The labeling of medical foods must contain: a statement of identity; an accurate statement of the net quantity of contents; the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor; and a complete list of ingredients. Prescription medical foods can be a safer option for managing the underlying cause of a disease such as OA. Like pharmaceuticals, medical foods require physician supervision. However, unlike synthetic prescription drugs, they use highly purified, concentrated natural ingredients found in foods such as green tea, dark chocolate, fruits and vegetables. Your doctor can work with you to create a personalized plan for managing OA that may include positive lifestyle changes, such as proper diet, exercise and rest, and a prescription medical food. Talk with your doctor for more information about prescription medical foods and to find out if they are right for you. ■
Send your general health questions to the Healthy Geezer in care of the BEACON, or email fred@healthygeezer.com.
THE HEALTHY GEEZER 11
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