Taking care of an aging parent can be a challenging time for a family and if the caregivers don’t tend to their own needs, according to Lori Zimmerman, senior information and referral specialist with ElderLink St. Louis, over time things will only get worse. “All family members have to know that things will change. As a parent ages his or her needs will change. You need to stay in touch with each other to re-evaluate these needs,” Zimmerman said.Needs Assessment And Action Plans To start the process of assessing your parent’s requirements, begin with a review of your parent’s physical, …

According to the 2010 U.S. Census the two fastest growing age groups are people aged 45—64 and those aged 65 and over. So chances are, you’re dealing with an aging parent or know someone who is. In response to this trend, Healthy Living presents a two-part series, this column and next week’s, to provide you with information on caring for your parents and yourselves. First, it’s important to realize that you are not alone in this situation and there are many resources available to help you and your parents. One of these resources is ElderLink St. Louis, a program sponsored by the Jewish …

Now that the famous food pyramid has become the food plate, what does that mean for your eating habits? “One of the main messages is to balance calories, to enjoy your food, to eat less and to avoid oversized portions,” Sherri Hoyt, outpatient dietician/community education department at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, said. “The majority of Americans are overweight or obese.  The bottom line is calories in versus calories out.” Hoyt said one of the first things the new icon hopes to get across is the idea of eating on a plate, not a bag. “The colored square around the plate represents a …

It’s officially summer, and along with all that extra time outdoors comes extra exposure to the flying and crawling creatures. They can range from minor annoyances to dangerous conditions. According to Dr. Meng Zhao, an internal medicine physician with the Overland Medical Group in Ladue and staff member at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, the most common bites in our area are from bees, wasps and mosquitoes. And for the outdoorsy types, there are snake bites. “Fortunately, most snakes in this area are not poisonous,” Zhao said. “But if you get bitten by a snake, it’s best not to go after it …

Now that our typical St. Louis summer heat has arrived, it can no longer be ignored. During these heat spells it’s easy to lose more body fluid than you’re taking in which can lead to dehydration, along with other serious heat-related illnesses. It’s important to stay well-hydrated and to recognize the signs when you’re not. To begin with, stay hydrated so you don’t have to worry about the signs. Contrary to popular tradition, sitting outside in the heat watching a game while drinking beer is not considered staying hydrated. “Beer, like wine and all alcohol, actually has the opposite effect …

Next Saturday is the 13th annual Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure®. This event serves as the perfect opportunity to talk about the importance of good breast health. How many people do you know who say they’re not worried about getting breast cancer because it doesn’t run in the family?  Fact is, 85 percent of women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of it. While certain risk factors do elevate your chances of getting breast cancer, the two main risks for everyone are: You are a woman. You’re a day older today than you were yesterday—aging. Even though you can’t control your …

Memorial Day weekend is traditionally when pools open for the summer. It’s also the start of outdoor activities such as picnics, BBQs, sporting events and gardening. With so many opportunities to spend time in the sun, you need to make sure you are protecting your skin, which is your body’s largest organ, from the sun’s damaging rays.There are three sun protection behaviors: applying sunscreen, wearing protective clothing and moving to the shade. However, you shouldn’t rely on just one form of protection to keep your skin safe. For instance, wearing a baseball cap does not count as an …

As part of a healthy lifestyle, last week we introduced the three activities everyone needs to do in order to be fit: strength training, flexibility and aerobic. Since we focused on the first two last week, this week we’ll look at aerobic exercise.“Aerobic” means “with oxygen.” Aerobic exercise promotes oxygen circulating throughout the body and according to the Cleveland Clinic it has many benefits: Improves cardiovascular conditioning. Decreases risk of heart disease. Lowers blood pressure. Increases HDL or “good” cholesterol. Helps to better control blood sugar. Assists in weight …

Welcome to the inaugural weekly column about healthy living. Each week we will bring you information on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle choices to help you live healthier and happier.We want your comments, suggestions, topics ideas, and stories of your personal experiences so don’t hesitate to let us know what you’re thinking.To begin with, let’s look at the three basic components of fitness: aerobic, strength and flexibility. You need to be doing all three in order to keep your body healthy and in balance. For healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends a minimum …