The Prodigal Sun

While there are some benefits to exposure to natural sunlight – like improving mood, increasing vitamin D levels, enhancing sleep, and slowing the aging process down – it is wise to be cautious in the sun to avoid the detrimental effects of its ultraviolet rays.

Ultraviolet light causes skin to lose elastin, which is a primary factor in the formation of wrinkles. Elastin fibers are what help skin maintain elasticity. Without it, time and gravity will take its toll on the skin, stretching it and creating a rough and wrinkly surface, giving a premature appearance of aging.

Prolonged exposure to the…

Wearing Sunglasses

Wearing sunglasses all of the time when you are outside can be harmful to your health, but it is important to use them. Confused? Well, your eyes have receptors in them that trigger Vitamin D absorption when they detect sunlight. If you block the UV rays from reaching your eyes, then it is likely that you will not absorb your daily need of Vitamin D from the sun. However, wearing sunglasses can help to protect your eyes so that they can stay healthier for a longer period of time.  There are many health benefits to wearing sunglasses because eyes that are regularly exposed to too much sun can develop serious…

Effects of Respect

Elder care facilities nationwide, from nursing homes to assisted living residences, are designed to provide assistance for elderly clients who need partial to total personal care. Well-enforced guidelines are in place for the physical care and treatment of elders in such facilities, and many of these homes are dedicated to providing a place for their residents to live out their lives as independently as possible, with dignity and respect.

But despite their best intentions, many elder care workers may not be providing the level of respect they think they are. It is quite common for nursing facility staff to address…

The Benefits of Long-term Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for the body; we know that those who practice a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to get sick than those who exercise. We know that exercise can help prevent heart disease, cancer, and other life-threatening diseases.  But not everyone knows that long-term exercise has a very good effect on the body, an effect that all of us wants–it slows the onset of aging.

A group of German scientists  learned through research that the secret to staying young longer is linked to physical activity. According to a report that was recently published in Circulation,…

Drink Milk – Prevent Osteoporosis

When most women think of milk, they think of those small cartons served with school lunches or the milk they may pour over their morning cereal. Too often considered a beverage for children, milk can be vital for women’s health and the prevention of osteoporosis, the most common metabolic bone disease in the United States. What osteoporosis means is that with age, bones can become more fragile and easier to break. Twenty-eight million adults have osteoporosis in the US today, and women are four times more likely to suffer…