Today is your day Boomer! As we launch into September this weekend, I look forward to lower temperatures and clearer skies. Forest fire smoke has dominated my life in B.C. for the past few weeks and I worry about its overall health effect on my lungs. A new study confirms this. According to CTV News, the report states that "particulate pollution can reduce the global average life expectancy by 2.3 years. That’s slightly higher than tobacco use, which reduces global life expectancy by 2.2 years." Now, I should emphasize that this is exposure over consistent, long periods of time and "can cause lung diseases, respiratory issues, and also affect the cardiovascular system and lead to strokes or heart attacks." Climate change means longer fire times, but it should also make city-dwelling Boomers think about where they live. Big cities like Toronto and Montreal have much more consistent smog and pollution than smaller urban areas like Kelowna. As an example in Bangladesh, the country with the highest pollution levels in 2021, a citizen stands to lose an average 6.8 years of life! Yikes! Smog for thought today Boomers! Cheers.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Today is your day Boomer! And today is another day for wining......and I don't mean complaining. I mean drinking some pressed grapes and enjoying the health benefits. That's right, drinking alcohol is good for you. First, let's state the obvious....only in moderate amounts: two glasses per day for men and one for women. Research shows the following positive health effects: (1) reduces risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson disease (2) is an anti-flammatory(white wine is better for this) (3) decreases risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol(red wine is a better choice) (4) good for mental health, may increase age longevity, may promote healthy gut bacteria. All of this sounds good and much of it boils down to the antioxidants which are higher in red wine. It seems reds--like Merlot, Cab Sav, and Shiraz--have been studied more.....which means more research is needed on whites. Boomers, maybe we could volunteer for a new study! Cheers!
Read more
Image
Today is your day Boomer! Some advice from a Boomer who is now two months removed from hip replacement surgery. Treat your recovery like a job. Every morning, I take a 30 minute hot tub to warm up my joints and muscles. You could use a shower, bathtub or warming pad. Then I do my physio exercises for 30-40 minutes.....and, I play uptempo, motivating music to keep me going. Then I drink water, then I do 30 minutes on our stationary bike with a favourite tv show or movie in front of me. Then I take about a two hour break to relax, read, eat and do other things....then, I walk for 40 minutes, sometimes with our dogs. I used to take walking sticks or a cane, now I take nothing but a good mindful attitude of enjoying the day and walking with good rhythm and technique. Then, I am done. For awhile, I would rest or nap...but now, that is not needed! My physiotherapist says I am about three weeks ahead of schedule and I can get back into the gym for whole-body, gradual workouts. That begins ...
Read more
Image
Today is your day Boomer! Here is an x-ray of my new hip! It's been 3 weeks today since my operation and, thankfully, all systems are a BIG go! Here is my good news update: **week number one was tough, but all is good since **I am driving again and taking hot tubs **my five-inch incision is healing nicely and the staples are gone **I am off the major painkillers and am just taking Tylenol **all my bodily systems are working **I am going back to work this week **I am walking outside 25-30 minutes per day **I have started physiotherapy and my specialist says I am ahead of schedule **I have no acute, stabbing pain, just a little pain around the edges **I am doing normal things like attending high school basketball games and going for coffee with my golf buddies **I am very dilligent in doing my physio exercises twice per day and then using ice **I have abondoned my four-wheel walker, my crutches and almost my cane **I am walking most of the time now without any assistance **I can ...
Read more