Happy May everyone!
Did you know May is High Blood Pressure Education Month? Maybe not, but now you do! Tens of millions of adults in the United States have high blood pressure which when uncontrolled can increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death for Americans. Luckily for us, there are many steps we can take each day to keep our blood pressure in a healthy range including choosing healthy meal and snack options along with exercising regularly.
It’s important to focus on foods high in fiber, potassium, and protein and low in sodium and saturated fat. It’s okay to have unhealthy foods in moderation, but make sure the majority of your diet is nutrient focused (eat your greens!). An easy way to get a lot of nutrient rich foods in one meal is through a smoothie. An easy way to get a lot of nutrient rich foods in one meal is through a smoothie. Try adding your favorite fruits with a big handful of kale along with some milk or juice and chia/flax seeds into your blender and voila! you have a delicious and nutritious smoothie.
Some other factors that can help to keep your blood pressure levels healthy are getting enough sleep (at least 7-8 hours/night!), limiting alcoholic drinks to max 1/day, and not smoking.
Are you having trouble concentrating?
It’s normal as we age to have more difficulty filtering out stimuli that are not relevant to the task at hand, we may find our minds wandering more often or that we are easily distracted. There are also outside factors that can affect our concentration such as underlying conditions, medications, lifestyle choices, and information overload from all of the screened devices we use. Although we can’t go back in time and some factors are out of our control, there are strategies we can take to improve our attention.
- Meditation: Sit still for a couple minutes each day, closing your eyes, and focusing on your breathing as well as the sounds and sensations around you. If you become distracted, just bring your thoughts back to your breath.
- Limit Your Devices: Practice putting your phone on silent mode or shutting down your email for a couple of hours of the day. Limit notifications that trigger you to stop what you are doing and look at something else.
- Take Small Steps: Aim to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night and approximately 150 minutes of exercise, such as brisk walking. Try incorporating more vegetables into your meals, even just a handful of greens or adding one additional vegetable to each meal can make a big difference!
Getting older is something that we cannot control, but we can control the choices we make regarding what we eat, how much we sleep, what notifications we see, and what we do in our free time. With small changes, we will see improvement not only in our concentration, but in other areas as well.
Covid-19 travel tips
If you’re like many others and have been mostly staying put over the last 14 months, you may be itching to get out of your house to explore somewhere new or to visit family in a different state/country. If you’re thinking about traveling by plane, we encourage you to do so in the safest way possible!
- Get Tested: Many locations require a negative PCR test result within about 72 hours of your arrival. Make sure to check for specific guidelines. If you need a PCR test for traveling, please call our office to schedule.
- Mask Up: Wear a tight-fitting mask, such as an N95, and something to cover your eyes like glasses or a face shield. We recommend filling up on water and food before you head to the airport so you can avoid having to take off your mask the whole time you are traveling.
- Social Distance: Try to stay spread out from others as much as possible in the airport terminal, this may be more difficult when you are actually seated on the plane, but just do the best you can.
- Stay Clean: Keep an easily accessible bottle of hand sanitizer with you to use when you touch any heavily trafficked areas such as door handles, luggage bins, and escalator banisters. Try to avoid touching your face the whole time you are traveling.
For vaccinated individuals, it is still important to get tested, mask up, social distance, and practice proper hygiene because there may be people around us who are not yet vaccinated. If you have any questions about traveling safely, please reach out to us!
Doc's corner:
Your teeth and your heart are linked. Plaque disease in our mouths is associated with increased risk of heart disease. While throughout the pandemic many have delayed both routine and at times urgent medical care for fear of exposure and infection, once vaccinated I encourage a visit to a good Dentist for cleaning; they should have their entire staff and all visitors masked, hand hygiene easily available, and face shields on all technicians. Let us know if you would like a recommendation, and keep smiling!!