INSAF

Nowadays, we've been talking about technology overload . Continuing the discussion, we spoke with Edie Zusman, MD opens new window , a neurosurgeon with Eden Medical Center, about how multi-tasking impacts our brains. Dr. Zusman has written about the impact of technology overload on physicians in the Journal of Neurosurgery. Our opportunities for multi-tasking – and being interrupted – have grown greatly over the last few years. The phone that used to sit on the kitchen wall is now in our pocket or purse, so we can be called anywhere. But it’s not just a phone, it’s a mini-computer itself, so all the new technology distractions are always with us. Is this a good thing? Most would give a resounding “Yes!” to that question. What’s wrong with information and entertainment at your fingertips? Who wouldn’t want easy communication with anyone, anywhere? But can our brains can handle the sheer amount of input coming our way? Are there disadvantages to using multiple technology gadgets...

Today's (June 29) maximum temperature in Fremont is 99. The trend is likely to continue for a few more days. Nobody likes extreme and prolonged heat, but such conditions can be deadly for seniors. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States. On average, excessive heat claims more lives each year than tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and lightning combined (http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php). "The elderly are often the most vulnerable to severe heat," said Jeff Huber, president of Home Instead, Inc., franchisor of the Home Instead Senior Care® network. "Their bodies do not adjust as well as young people to sudden changes in temperature, they are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes normal body responses to heat, and they are often on a prescription medicine that impairs th...

100-Year-Old Grandma Graduates Grade School Manuela Hernandez, at 100 years of age, finally finished elementary school this week. Hernandez, who grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico, was forced to drop out after just one year of school when she was a child. After years and years of wanting to return and finish, she finally did, at the age of 99. Congrats Manuela! She says that she plans to start high school next year, so hopefully Prom Queen is in her future. “http://screen.yahoo.com/100-old-grandma-graduates-grade-223008850.html”

Sarcopenia is derived from the Greek meaning “poverty of flesh.” In medical terms it means the age-related decline in muscle mass which is typically at a rate of 0.5-1 percent muscle loss each year after age 25. This slow atrophy of our muscles is subtle enough that it may not be cause for i mmediate attention, but eventually it leads to early muscle fatigue, problems with balance, and increased sports injuries, since we lose our supportive muscles when we try to perform exercises and activities that require more agility (skiing, snowboarding, dancing, basketball, etc.). Have you noticed how you or your parents walk now compared to earlier in life? People become less sure-footed, they may walk with their legs a little wider apart to provide more support, and eventually the use of canes and walkers may be necessary. Many elderly people who fall frequently are a victim of age-related sarcopenia. Sedentary Muscle Fatigue Another common type of sarcopenia is something I cal...

by Sarah Stevenson The results of a new study from Japan suggest yet another reason why women live longer than men: their immune systems age more slowly. Women outlive men by about five years, on average, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Longevity researchers know that the reasons for women’s higher lifespan are complex, with genetic, hormonal, psychological and sociological factors all playing a role. Another popular theory has targeted immunological differences—and that theory has acquired some real-world proof thanks to a newly released study in the journal Immunity & Ageing . Japanese scientists have confirmed that women’s immune systems age more slowly, contributing to the complex of factors that make women live longer. And, of course, the more scientists learn about longevity, the more we can pinpoint strategies for healthy aging for both genders. Women's Immune Systems stay hea...

9 Government Benefits You Might Be Missing Out On By Melanie Haiken , Caring.com senior editor Is there anything more on our minds these days than stretching our dollars? And no question, nothing sabotages your budget like an illness or other health problem, especially one that affects your ability to carry out your everyday obligations. But help is available -- much more help than most people realize. Here are nine government benefits that experts say most people are missing out on. 1. Social security payments to dependents Who's eligible: Widows and widowers, children, and other dependents of a social security recipient What you get: Monthly payments based on the social security recipient's work history How it works: After a death in the family, many people fail to take advantage of money they're entitled to receive from the Social Security Administration . Known as "survivor benefits," these payments are made to the spouse...

Are You Humbitious Enough To Lead? --by William C. Taylor , Original Story , Jun 17, 2013 If there is a defining conceit at the heart of the way so many of us think about leadership, it is that of the no-nonsense, hard-charging, often-wrong-but-never-in-doubt boss who enjoys the glories (and bears the burdens) of success all alone. That’s what makes executive life (in theory) so glamorous: Who isn’t eager to match wits with brilliant rivals and stay one step ahead of a complex world? Of course, that’s also what makes executive life (in reality) so exhausting: What happens when rivals come at you from more directions than ever, when markets change faster than ever, when problems loom larger than ever? As a business culture, we’ve made the lure of executive leadership hard to resist—and the job of leadership virtually impossible to do. A harrowing essay in the Atlantic (titled, appropriately enough, “It’s Lonely ...

Please view this revolutionary but controversial video in this link: "http://www.finerminds.com/consciousness-awareness/curing-cancer-in-3-minutes/?utm_source=scemay18&utm_medium=email&utm_content=curingcancer&utm_campaign=scemay18"

What’s your definition of strength and fitness? Is it how much weight you can bench press or how fast you can run a mile? Those modern measures of fitness may not help us as much as we think. How often do you need to bench press 200 pounds during the course of your day? In terms of functional strength and fitness, my grandmother was stronger and fitter in her 80s than most of my younger patients today. Here are four reasons why: 1. Increased Leg Strength : Our buttocks and leg muscles are the largest and strongest muscles in our body, yet few of my patients ever squat, a movement that builds those muscles. I have vivid memories of my grandmother in a squatting position. She ate off the ground from a banana leaf. She did her temple ceremonies from the floor. She swept dust from the ground in a complete squat while taking steps to cover large surfaces. Most of us spend most of our days sitting in cars, sitting at work, and then sitting at home. When we go to the gym, we usually...

  Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara , Japan, turns 101 on 4th October 2012   As a 97 year old Doctor, he was interviewed, and gave his advice for a long and healthy life.   Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing.     He has published around 15 books since his 75th birthday, including one "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.   Doctor Shigeaki Hinohara's main points for a long and happy life:     *   Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a ...