Don’t lose muscle
“Use it or lose it” definitely applies to your muscles as you age. Some 45 percent of adults age 65 and older have age-related muscle wasting, also called sarcopenia.
Men and women start losing muscle mass as early as their 40s and 50s, according to a story in the April issue of the Nutrition Action Healthletter. The causes are many: a slowdown in muscle metabolism, a lack of muscle-stimulating physical activity, genetic and gender differences, hormonal deficiencies, loss of nerve cells and not enough protein in the diet.
Two important ways to prevent muscle loss are through resistance exercises and added protein. By engaging in just two months of resistance training — exercising the big muscles around the thighs, arms, shoulders and back — you can increase your muscle strength by 40 percent. And if you’re exercising, you should increase your intake of protein by at least 25 percent.
To get enough protein, plan to eat in grams about half of your weight in pounds. So if you weigh about 125 pounds you should eat 65 grams of protein daily. Among the many good sources of protein are beef, chicken and turkey (25 grams each for 3 ounces), canned tuna (21 grams), cottage cheese (13 grams for a half cup) and milk and yogurt (8 grams).
Early autism alert
As many as 1 in 150 children has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), developmental problems that include impairment in communication and social-interaction skills as well as repetitive behaviors. The earlier a child is identified with autism, the more likely intervention therapies can help, notes a report in the April issue of Babytalk.
The article lists the following resources to help identify autism’s symptoms and show where to get help:
* Autism Speaks, autism speaks.org, offers advice on early detection and treatment and funds research.
* First Signs, firstsigns.org, has information on diagnosis, treatment and insurance coverage.
* The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities, NICHCY.org, lists agencies that offer early intervention.
* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Learn the Signs, Act Early Web site, CDC.gov/actearly, includes a comprehensive chart of developmental milestones and an ASD fact sheet.
Watch your mom
Women looking for clues about their own health should talk to their moms about their medical history, advises a story in the May issue of Glamour. Check to see if Mom’s back is beginning to curve or if she is getting shorter. If so, you have double the risk for osteoporosis. To help strengthen your bones, you should take in 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily through food and supplements as well as 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D.
How’s Mom’s ticker? If she has heart disease, you have a 43 percent chance of heart problems too. You can improve your odds by tossing out the cigarettes, exercising and eating healthy foods.
Has your mother had breast cancer? This doubles your odds of getting it. Watch for suspicious lumps, consider genetic testing and have regular mammography tests.
Travel medicine
Before heading off for that long-deserved vacation, visit Travel Medicine Consultants at thetraveldoctor.com. The easy-to-use Web site offers information to help travelers prevent health problems before they occur.
The site shows how to stay healthy whether you’re engaging in water-related activities or off on a high-altitude adventure. There is advice for preventing illness through food, water, insects and sun exposure. You also will learn when it’s best to be immunized against certain diseases and what medical supplies you should carry along just in case.
In addition, the site offers quick links to the World Health Organization, which gives weekly updates on disease outbreaks as well as information on emerging and communicable diseases.
