Happy Healthy Long Life

Re-Gifting on My 70th Birthday. One Size Fits All!

 

 

I woke up at 4:00 am last night, on my 70th Birthday, in an emotional funk.  Chalk it up to entering UNKNOWN TERRITORY--THE TWILIGHT ZONE.  SEVENTY is feeling SCARY!!!! 2020 & the world is feeling SCARY, too!!!! I've felt this way all week, in spite of celebrations, & more to come through the month. 

I tiptoed downstairs & opened up this 8 year old post--from December 18, 2012!   It was EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO READ TODAY!  So I'm RE-GIFTING it to all of you.  Enjoy!

 

Now for the Re-Gifting - One Size Fits All

  Finding Our Footing Once Again in an Unpredictible Future - With Family, Friends, Food, a Little Fun, and Advice From Daniel Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas' Mother

 

 

ZeZe and ZaZa - Always Looking on the Bright Side

 

On Sunday afternoon I went to a dear colleague's retirement party.

Reason #3.  My friend ZeZe was there, and out of the blue he began to tell me what an impression this two-year old post has made on him!  

Mostly because of Dan Gilbert's advice: "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends. We get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods. Forget about spending money on jewelry--give your sweetie the best gift of all:  Time spent together doing something special.  Like a trip!"   It worked for ZeZe!  A birthday gift trip to Mexico for ZaZa.

This is one of my favorite posts, too.  Not so much for Gilbert's advice, but for Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's advice: When in Doubt, Do the Positive.

 

Advice You Can Bank On from Dan Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas' Mother

 

We're nearing the last day of the year.  Soon we'll see the shortest & darkest of days, and OMG the sun is finally shining and it's going to reach 50 degrees today!  Could this be a sign?

It's been another year of unspeakable devastation, heartache, & sadness--wrought by both humans & by nature. Newtown, Connecticut.  Hurricane Sandy.  Economic uncertainties, job losses, business closures, home foreclosures.  Scaling down.  Uncertain futures.  Limited job prospects for new college grads who are saddled with unprecedented steep student loans.  Serious family illnesses.  Unexpected gut-wrenching deaths.   It's a wonder how we all just keep-on-keeping-on.

But, it's also been a year of weddings, welcoming new babies to the world, delirious dancing, gorgeous giggling grandchildren, lots of hugs, graduations, family gatherings, hanging out with friends for an evening of cards and games, cooking with the family, and this list could go on and on.   I like Phil Stopol's attitude--he's one of the "greatest generation", an 88 year-old who fought in World War II--and who I hope will soon celebrate his 63th wedding anniversary on Christmas day.  Another example of Phil's positive attitude-here.

 

 

And yet, I've spent a year writing about eating right and exercising in order to stay healthy, perhaps reverse illness, lift your spirits, and just plain feel strong and good.  What's up with that?

Here's why:  Whether we like it or not, we are all connected to each other.  When things fall apart for our family, our friends, our co-workers, our community--we hurt right along with them--as they do with us. 

There's so much we have NO control over.  But heck, we can always control what goes into our mouths.  We can always control how much we move our bodies--yes, that's code word for exercise. 

The way I look at it--it's a gift to everyone--and I mean everyone--when we can stay healthy, maintain a positive attitude, and have the energy to be present for those (including ourselves) who are hit by the uncontrollable curveballs that life always throws us--whether we like or not. 

Your kids, your spouse, your co-workers, your friends have more than enough on their worry plates these days--they don't need to add you to the pile.  Do them a favor and take care of your health--it's at least one thing you (mostly) have control over.  And being in control of something, is the best mood lifter out there.

 

Daniel Gilbert:  As Bad as Things Get--It Always Gets Better--It's the Uncertainty That's Making Us Miserable

 

I'm a research geek--I own up to it. Dan Gilbert, is the well-known Harvard research psychologist who specializes in figuring out what makes us happy and what makes us miserable.  He's my go-to guy when I want an attitude adjustment.  I hope his words can put into perspective whatever current worries happen to be on your plate this year.

 

What Gilbert learned when his own life fell apart.  Or, how did he got into the happiness research business in the first place.

 

"Within a short period of time, my mentor passed away, my mother died, my marriage fell apart and my teenage son developed problems in school.  What I soon found was that as bad as my situation was, it wasn't devastating.  I went on.

One day, I had lunch with a friend who was also going through difficult times.  I told him: "If you'd have asked me a year ago how I'd deal with all this, I'd have predicted that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning."

The truth is, bad things don't affect us as profoundly as we expect them to.  That's true of good things, too.  We adapt very quickly to either."   Dan Gilbert

 

We're Clueless When It Comes to Our Own Worst Nightmares!

Think of your worst nightmare.  The loss of your spouse, financial ruin, the unspeakable stuff I refuse to even write, a life-threatening disease.  According to Gilbert, we're lousy predictors of our own unhappiness.  When the unthinkable happens, we somehow get through it.  He cites countless studies that show "a large majority of people who endure major trauma (wars, car accidents, rapes) in their lives will return successfully to their pre-trauma emotional states--and that many of them will report that they ended up happier than they were before the trauma."

 

How can that be?

For one thing, we change across time; the person you are when your are imaging what would happen if your nightmare came true, isn't the same person who ends up dealing with it first-hand.  We learn to adapt--we just get used to things. And thankfully, we have a built-in "psychological immune system" that helps us through the big negative events like job loss, or the death of a spouse.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well for the day-to-day insults, like car break-downs, and over-flowing toilets.  That's where we do lose it.

We're also great at rationalizing.  "It was a boring dead-end job, anyway.  If I hadn't gotten laid-off I never would have had a chance to go back to school."  "She never was right for me anyway."  We have exceptional talent in finding ways to soften the blow.

And then there's the "I'm not the only one" trump card.  If we've got buddies in the same boat--it's not so bad.  When you're the only one in dire straits, that's a different story.

 

What Really Makes Us Unhappy is the Unknown

"An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait.  That's because people feel worse when something bad might occur, than when something bad finally does occur.  It's the not knowing that is making us sick."  Daniel Gilbert

A University of Michigan study considered the emotional adjustment of colostomy patients.  One group underwent  permanent colostomies, another group had colostomies that might be reversed one day.  Six months after the operations, those who had the permanent colostomies were happier than those who thought they could have a chance for reversal.

 

Why? 

"Because when we get bad news we weep for a while, and then get busy making the best of it.  We raise our consciousness and lower our standards.  We find our bootstraps and tug.  But we can't come to terms with circumstances whose terms we don't  yet know.  An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait." Daniel Gilbert

 

So, What Really Does Make Us the Happiest?

Here's what the research says.  Pay attention and invest your time accordingly.

Yeah, we do need money, but not as much as we might think we need.  If you're poor, a little money will absolutely buy a lot of happiness.  And yes, we do all need the basics, like shelter, food, and some security.  Those who think otherwise have never needed food stamps, been without health insurance, depended upon the generosity of family or friends, or lived for months on ramen noodles.  But, after $75,000/a year, money won't buy you much more in the way of happiness--at least that's what Princeton economists say.  Don't argue with me about that one.

"We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.

We know that it's significantly more important than money and somewhat more important than health.  That's what the data shows.  The interesting thing is that people will sacrifice social relationships to get other things that won't make them as  happy -- like money." Daniel Gilbert

 

Shopping for happiness? 

Take the vacation, make a great gourmet meal and share it with friends, see a movie, play games with the fam.  Forget about the expensive new couch or high-end car.   Hands-down, the research says, we get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods.  Read about one couple's experience living on way less.

 

 "Another way I follow what I've learned from data is that I don't chase dollars.  You couldn't pay me $100,000 to miss a play date with my granddaughters.  That's not because I'm rich.  That's because I know that a hundred grand won't make me as happy as nurturing my relationship with my granddaughters will."  Daniel Gilbert

 

When in Doubt, Do the Positive! - Advice from Jeanne Marie Laskas

  

 

In the February 2011 issue of Prevention Jeanne Marie Laskas shares some wisdom she learned from her mom--another tool to put into our 2011 Toolbox.

 

"When in doubt, do the positive."  This was my mother's favorite saying and a rule I live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

Laskas goes on to share the story of one of her life's "not-so-big dilemmas".  She had a raging head cold.  It was snowing to beat the band, and she was comfortably hunkered down--on the couch--in her bathrobe.  She had no intentions of going out with her husband on that night to chaperone a Valentine's Day Dance for fifth and sixth graders. 

There was no way she wanted to get off that couch--and she knew that no one would blame her for staying home--but then her husband pulled that "Do the Positive" card on her,

 

"When in doubt, do the positive.  Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

Of course, Laskas goes to the dance.  And it looks like it's going to be one big disastrous waste of her time. The kids aren't dancing--the boys are huddled in one group, the girls in another.

 

"Oh, for heaven's sake," my husband says.  He pulls me onto the dance floor, twirls me to the growls of Lady Gaga.  The kids are laughing, but then my husband does his Travolta spin, so I do a little hustle move, and soon the girls and some of the boys are out here with us, and the silliness of this night becomes a kind of freedom for us all.

The DJ "brings it down" to "Just the Way Your Are," and for the first time in more years than I care to count, I am dancing with my husband on Valentine's Day, cheek to cheek.

When in doubt, dance!"  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

That's exactly what I'll be doing tonight--this New Year's Eve 2011--dancing!  I asked three couples to join us at our symphony hall for a bargain-priced evening with a Broadway diva performance, followed by some rock-n-roll dancing, noisemakers, and a kitschy balloon drop.  This group then asked four more couples to join in the fun.  So, we'll be dressed up and dancing tonight.  When in doubt--do the positive--dance!  What better way to ring in the the New Year?

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I PLAN TO DO (9 years later) ON JANUARY 3, 2020--THE DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY!  DANCING!!  

 

When In Doubt - Do the Positive!  Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother

 

The best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.  Daniel Gilbert

Dr. Neal Barnard on Vitamin E. Get It from Food. Mostly Nuts & Seeds

 

 

"Researchers don't know how vitamin E might help, but it is an antioxidant, like those found in red wine, grapes and some teas. Antioxidants help protect cells from damage that can contribute to other diseases, says the federal Office on Dietary Supplements. Many foods contain vitamin E, such as nuts, seeds, grains, leafy greens and vegetable oils. There are many forms, and the study tested a synthetic version of one - alpha-tocopherol - at a pharmaceutical grade and strength, 2,000 international units a day. 

No one should rush out and buy vitamin E, several doctors warned. It failed to prevent healthy people from developing dementia or to help those with mild impairment ("pre-Alzheimer's") in other studies, and one suggested it might even be harmful."

 

AP news story by Marilynn Marchione

 

If you received this from email or on your smartphone click here to get to the web version with all the links or to write a comment.

Trials of Vitamin E for patients with Alzheimer's have been a mixed bag over the years.  Some were promising.  Some were not.  And after numerous vitamin E trials over the years, concerns arose that it might increase the risk for adverse effects (like mortality) when doses exceeded 400 IU.  As a result, vitamin E supplementation has fallen out of favor.  No one recommends it these days--at least not in supplement form.  And certainly not over 400 IU.

But, on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2014 there was some renewed glimmer of its usefulness in patients diagnosed with Alzheimers.  And at surprisingly high doses.  An no increased risk of mortality.

Here's the scoop:  

(from the New York Times)  A study, published in Wednesday’s issue of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that over a little more than two years of high-dose vitamin E slowed the decline of people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s by about six months on average.

Vitamin E did not delay cognitive or memory deterioration, however. Instead, it seemed to temporarily protect something many patients consider especially valuable: their ability to perform daily activities like putting on clothes and feeding themselves.

Compared with other study participants, people who took vitamin E also required about two fewer hours of help from caregivers per day, the researchers said.

Want to learn more about the JAMA study?  Check out one of the following articles about the vitamin E study:

NPR

LA Times

Wall Street Journal

NYT

 

Dr. Neal Barnard's Advice on Getting Adequate Vitamin E from Food

 

All this "new" talk of a modest benefit of vitamin E in Alzheimer's patients, reminded me of Dr. Neal's Barnard's advice that for our "Brain's Sake" we should all make certain we get an adequate amount of vitamin E through our diets--from real food.  And according to Barnard, the best sources are from nuts & seeds.  We need about 15 mg/22.4 IU of vitamin E a day!

To that end, I wanted to share Dr. Barnard's advice on Vitamin E with all of you.  Consume about an ounce of nuts &/or seeds in order to get a mix of the different types of vitamin E (gamma-tocopherol & alpha-tocopherol) & choose those that have the highest amounts:  sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, pecans, walnuts (Black are higher than English), or pistachios.

The content below is excerpted from chapter 4 of Dr. Neal Barnard's Power Foods for the Brain.  New York: Hachette Book Group, 2013

 

Vitamin E Protects Against Free Radicals  (Chapt. 4)

Vitamin E protects your cells.  Specifically, it knocks out free radicals, those angry torpedoes that form, in part, due to copper and iron, as we saw in chapter 2.  Vitamin E is an antioxidant.  It neutralizes free radicals as they arise.

This is important for every part of your body.  But it is critical for your brain.  Skin cells & muscle cells can be replaced, and red blood cells and white blood cells turn over so quickly, they practically have a sell-by date.  But brain cells are forever.  Your ability to regenerate new ones is very limited, and there just aren't a lot of shiny new replacement parts ready to stand in for brain cells that have died!

Every brain cell, the axon that extends from it, and the synapses that link it with other cells are fragile.  Like an old stone statue in a town square assaulted day after day by air pollutants, and acid rain, each brain cell is nicked and pockmarked by the microscopic attacks of free radicals.  Vitamin E is a key part of your antioxidant shield.

So, does it work?  Does vitamin E actually protect your brain cells?  Dutch researchers analyzed the diets of 5,395 people, all of whom were fifty-five or older as the study began.  They tracked how much vitamin E they were getting in foods, and they then followed them over the next decade.  It turned out that those who got the MOST VITAMIN E cut their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia by about 25%.

Similarly, the Chicago researchers found that in older people followed over a four-year period, Alzheimer's disease developed in 14.3% of those who had relatively little vitamin E in their diets, but in only 5.9% of those who got the most vitamin E.  

Here is the math:  Every 5 milligram of vitamin E in a person's daily diet reduced the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by 26%.

In the Dutch study, it did not matter if you had the APOE e4 allele--vitamin E was still helpful.  But in the Chicago study, it seemed to work only in people who did not have the APOE e4 allele, for reasons that are not clear.

Two caveats:  First, not all research teams have confirmed the protective effect of vitamin E for the brain. Second, don't rush to the store and buy a bottle of vitamin E.  Get it from foods instead.  

Here is why: Most vitamin E supplements have only one form of the vitamin, called alpha-tocopherol.  Foods provide it, too, but they also have a second form, called gamma-tocopherol, and others as well.  These various forms of vitamin E work as a team.  There is no need to bother with pills, and some evidence suggests that vitamin E pills are not effective against dementia.

What if you have Alzheimer's already?  Will vitamin E help?  In 1997, a large research project found that vitamin E did seem to slow down the decline of Alzheimer's disease.  Called the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, the project enrolled people with moderately severe symptoms.  Their average age was seventy-three, and they had had Alzheimer's disease for about five years.  By taking 1000 IU of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) twice a day, they were able to delay further decline by nearly two years.  "Decline" meant loss of the ability to perform activities of daily living, severe dementia, institutionalization, or death.

Unfortunately, this optimistic finding was not replicated by later studies and the role of vitamin E in Alzheimer's treatment remains a matter of debate. (H.L. note: EXCEPT until the recent 1/14 study in JAMA) So, for prevention, vitamin E-rich foods do seem to be effective, but once dementia has begun, its benefits are uncertain.

The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin E for adults is 15 milligrams (22.4 IU) per day.  The amount that helped in the Dutch study was around 18.5 milligrams (27.6 IU) per day.  The amount that helped in the Chicago study was just 7.6 milligrams (11.4 IU) per day.

 

Where Do You Find Vitamin E in Food?

You'll find traces of vitamin E in broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and avocados.  And there is much more in NUTS AND SEEDS, especially almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and flaxseed.

An ounce of typical nuts or seeds has about 5 milligrams of vitamin E.  How much is an ounce?  Pour some nuts or seeds into the palm of your hand and stop before they reach your fingers.  That is about an ounce.  If that's part of your routine, it trims your Alzheimer's risk by about one-quarter, if the Chicago findings hold.  

While nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E, they are also high in fat, which means they pack a lot of calories, not to mention some saturated fat. So I would suggest using them sparingly, focusing on the vitamin E-rich varieties mentioned above, rather than peanuts or cashews, which have less vitamin E and more saturated fat.

(H.L. NOTE:  My "whole food" multivitamin has 16 IU of vitamin E from organic brown rice)

If you have a tendency to overdo it with nuts and seeds--you tear open a pack and pretty soon you've eaten the whole thing--try this:  Use them as an ingredient, rather than as a snack food that you might eat all by itself.  Sprinkle them on your salad, or into a sauce.  That way you'll be less tempted to go back for more.

 

Vitamin E-Rich Foods (amounts are listed in milligrams per ounce) 

High in Gamma-Tocopherol

Black Walnuts         8.1

Sesame Seeds          8.0

Pecans                    6.9

Pistachios               6.4

English Walnuts       5.9

Flaxseed                 5.7       

 

High in Alpha-Tocopherol

Sunflower seeds      7.4     

Almonds                 7.3

Almond butter        6.9

Hazelnuts               4.3

Pine nuts                2.8

Brazil nuts              1.6    

 

 

 Source:  World's Healthiest Foods  

NOTE:  In this table, the vitamin E amounts for the greens (spinach, Swiss chard, etc) are displayed as 1 cup of cooked greens, which contains the equivalent of many cups of raw greens. I don't know wht the equivalent is--just know from exerperience that cooked greens are greatly reduced from raw.  Even the cooked greens contain only a small amount of vitamin E.  Greens are in the "EXCELLENT" category because they are low calories & low in fat.