Baby Boomer News: Are Older Drivers a Danger on the Road?
Tom Vanderbuilt’s blog, “How We Drive”, recently had an interesting article entitled “What’s the Real Risk of Older Drivers?” In the article he concluded, based on recent research, that although crashes involving older drivers make the news, it’s wrong to demonize older drivers when statistics can’t be matched point by point between older and younger drivers.
Older drivers for the most part also drive less miles than younger drivers and stick to more familiar surroundings where they know the roads and feel comfortable.
Deciding when to take the keys away from a parent is a huge decision because, in many cases, their car and their ability to drive gives them independence. As families scatter around the country, older drivers are less likely to have friends or relatives who can take them where they need to go.
My own dad limits his driving to taking my mom to get groceries or her hair appointment mostly but when the time comes that he can’t drive, it also means my mom loses much of her independence too because she hardly drives at all anymore, preferring to leave it to my father. I know for a fact that my dad’s reaction times aren’t as quick as they once were.
The fact is, though, I live a thousand miles away and both my sisters, who live near my parents, are still working. One of my sisters has a child in elementary school, as well. This past year, when my dad had to have a hip replacement, I went home to help care for him as my sisters aren’t able to take the time to do it.
If my dad has to quit driving - what then? As an old marine from WWII, my father hates each further loss of independence he suffers because he knows he’ll never get it back. Baby boomers are increasingly being put into the position of caring for aging parents and making these types of decisions for them.
When to stop driving is a major decision looming for baby boomers as they get older, for both themselves and their parents.
As to whether or not older drivers are the biggest danger on the road, in my opinion, they are not. I live in a large metro area and most of the major accidents in the news here are caused by drunk drivers, not older drivers. If there is a push to be made for taking risky drivers off the roads, I think the emphasis should be placed there, not on elderly drivers.
How do you feel about older drivers on our roads? Have you ever had to face the decision to take away your parents car keys? If so, how did you handle it?
Cataracts - Prevention and Symptoms
What are Cataracts and What Causes Them?
Cataracts are a clouding of the lens in the eye which impairs vision. Aging is the main cause of cataracts but other contributing factors could be diabetes, smoking and alcohol use, overexposure of your eyes to sunlight.
Symptoms of Cataracts
Early stages of cataracts produce little or no symptoms. As they progress, you might experience:
- Clouded or blurred vision
- Colors seem faded or less vivid
- A halo may appear around lights or ordinary light may seem too bright.
- Poor night vision
- Double vision or multiple images in one eye
- Frequent prescription changes in your eyeglasses or contact lenses.
If you have any of these symptoms, schedule an exam with an eye care professional as they may also be symptoms of other eye problems.
Cataract Prevention and Treatment
Once you have cataracts, there is no natural way to reverse them and surgery is required to remove the cataracts. However, I found there are things that you can do to possibly slow the rate that your cataracts are forming. For some, these these methods might even prevent cataracts from forming in the first place. Try these strategies for possible cataract prevention:
- Regular Eye Exams -If you are over age 60, you should have a comprehensive eye examination at least once every two year, including dilation of your pupils. This means drops are put into your eyes to enlarge your pupils. I can vouch for this strategy.
I’ve worn glasses since I was 12 years old and now I’m nearly 60. I’ve had regular eye exams yearly over all those years and no one, until recently, told me I had the early signs of cataracts. However, my past eye exams were with an optometrist who did not dilate my eyes and during my last exam, I had every test available and my eyes were dilated. After dilating your eyes, your eye care professional can see the back of your eye better than without it. It’s possible to see cataracts without dilating the eyes but getting a good view of the retina and optic nerve is important in detecting eye diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, or other vision problems.
- Don’t smoke and limit alcohol
- Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from sunlight exposure.
Early treatment for these eye diseases might just save your sight.Lifestyle and Diet Changes
- Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses
- Don’t smoke or quit if you do.
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Get regular physicals to check for diabetes or other vision-threatening health conditions.
- Add antioxidants and certain vitamins for a healthy lifestyle. Cataract research scientists believe that good nutrition can help reduce the risk of age-related cataracts and lessen other eye problems.
Take care of your eyes. They are the only ones you have and it’s easier to try and prevent conditions like cataracts, than it is to treat the conditions once you have them.
Weightloss Tips - Walking to Lose Weight
To lose weight permanently and keep from gaining it back, you have to keep moving and walking at a moderate pace for 30 minutes to an hour a day helps you build muscle and speeds up metabolism both during and after your walk.
Of all the weightloss tips I give to people, walking to lose weight is my number one recommendation. Here’s what you need to know:
- A pound of fat equals 3,500 calories so to lose a pound of fat you must do a combination of exercising more to burn calories and eating less to equal those 3,500 calories.
- I said walking to lose weight doesn’t require fancy equipment but a good pair of shoes is recommended. Good arch supports and comfortable shoes help protect your legs, ankles and back from injury. Plus, if you’re comfortable, you’re more likely to keep walking.
- If you aren’t used to exercising, start slowly. Walk for 15 minutes at a time at first if you aren’t used to walking. A 30 minute walk at only 2 miles per hour, will burn about 165 calories. Even if you break this up to 2-3 ten minute walks a day, you still burn those calories.
- If you’re able to cover a mile in 20 minutes, you’re burning about 150 or more calories in that time, depending on your weight. This may not sound like a lot of calories but it equals a pound of fat per month, even if you eat the same amount of food. If you cut your daily calories intake by the same 150 calories a day, you’ll lose 2 pounds per month. Slow, steady weightloss over time is the way to keep the pounds off permanently, which makes walking to lose weight the perfect exercise.
How to Lose Weight Walking
- Once you’re comfortable walking for 30 minutes or so at a time, the most effective way to burn fat while walking is to start out at an easy pace for five to 10 minutes to warm up your muscles and then increase your pace.
- Start with 15 minute walks per day at an easy pace and increase it by five minutes per day if you can, until you reach 60 minutes a day most days of the week This builds a healthy habit. If you can’t take an hour a day to exercise, go less on some days but keep to your walking routine. Once you get into the walking habit, you won’t want to miss a day as it gives you energy, decreases stress and makes you feel great about yourself, all big benefits besides losing weight.
- Increase your pace over time. This benefits your heart and lungs and burns more calories. You should be noticing the effort in your breathing but still be able to carry on a conversation as you walk.
Motivation to Exercise by Walking
Motivation to get out and walk every day is the essential ingredient to sticking with your goal. Here are some ways to stay motivated:
- Get a walking buddy - make an appointment with a spouse, friend or neighbor to walk daily. You’ll be less likely to skip out if someone is counting on you, plus you can pass the time by talking. If you have a dog, take your dog with you. I guarantee that after one day of going on a daily walk, your dog will bug you each and every day to go again.
- Audio books - Get an Ipod or small CD player and listen to audio books. I belong to Audible.com where you get one free download per month with membership. I choose long books so one will usually last me all month. You can also download books at Itunes or find free lectures or audio programs to download from the internet.
- Just enjoy nature - Walk mindfully. Enjoy the day, the birds singing, the feel of moving your body. Walking for weightloss can also be a time of peace and calm for your mind. Look forward to it as your time to relax.
If winter or summer weather is an issue, go to the local mall and walk. Many malls are open early for walkers. You may even make some friends there.
- Keep a journal of both your daily walks and your calorie intake. Studies show that people who keep food and exercise journals are more likely to stick to their weightloss goals until they reach them.
- Walking to lose weight requires little equipment but a pedometer may help inspire you to walk more. This OMRON HJ-002N STEP PEDOMETER
is only $11.61 at Shop.com. It’s recommended to lose weight walking, that you walk 10,000 steps per day. Get a pedometer and clip it to your belt for a few days and see how many steps you walk ordinarily then go for a 10 minute or 20 minute walk and see how many steps you can add.I wear a pedometer every day and it inspires me to walk more, even if it’s around the house. I want to reach those 10,000 steps every day.
Cautions about Walking for Weightloss
If you are over 65 and currently don’t exercise at all, or if you suffer from health concerns like high blood pressure or have diabetes, a check up with your doctor is recommended.
Tips for Natural Eye Health - Foods and Vitamins for Your Eyes
A day or so ago, I suddenly noticed flashing lights in my peripheral vision and floaters in my eyes. As someone who always checks the Internet for any strange symptoms, I was alarmed when WebMD said flashing lights in the eyes could be a symptom of a detached retina, which can cause blindness in hours if not treated. So at 1030 pm, my husband and I trooped to the Emergency Room, something I’ve never done in my nearly 60 years of living.
The ER doctor reassured me that he didn’t think it was a detached retina but that I should check first thing in the morning with an Opthamologist, which I did. The good news was my retina was not torn or detached, the bad news was that the floater was still attached to the retina and could cause a tear eventually. Another piece of bad news was that I was developing cataracts! Yikes! There’s something that can make old age slap you in the face in a hurry.
I’m a very healthy person so I’ve taken my eye health for granted. No longer. Besides detached retinas and cataracts, older people are susceptible to macular degeneration and other eye problems as well. I decided to do my research on foods and vitamins for eyes so I can add these to my daily regimen. Here is what I found out:
Vitamins for Eye Health
You can take special supplements for your eyes and these will probably contain lutein, zeaxathin, lycopene and zinc. These are very important to overall eye health and preventing eye problems like mucular degeneration.
Other vitamins for your eye health include antioxidants Vitamin C, A, D, B6 and B12. The best source of Vitamin A is food as too much Vitamin A can be harmful.
Selenium is another trace mineral that it’s best to get from food and is good for the eyes. Selenium overdose can be harmful.
Foods for the Eyes:
When possible, it’s best to get your nutrients from food and for eye health, you need antioxidants in your diet. Antioxidants are also good for overall health and a good immune system. These foods contain eye vitamins like lutein, lycopene, zeayxathin and Vitamins A and C.
- Avacodos - Contain more lutein than any other fruit and antioxidant Vitamins A, C, B6 and Vitamin E.
- Eggs - Great source of eye nutrients - Vitamin A, zinc, lutein, lecithen, B12, Vitamin D
- Greens like spinach and kale - which contain Vitamin A, lutein and zeaxathin, which are important eye vitamins and nutrients.
- Brocoli - On every superfood list for preventing cancer, good old broccoli is also great for eye health, containing Vitamin C, calcium, lutein and zeaxanthin
- Carrots - Your mom always said eat your carrots to have healthy eyes and she was right.
- Tomatoes contain lycopene and Vitamin C, which is very good for the eyes.
- Garlic - besides being great for the immune system, garlic contains the antioxidant quercetin and Vitamin C.
- Salmon - contains omega 3 fatty acids for overall eye health, plus folic acid, Vitamins D, B6, B12 and Vitamin A.
- Sunflower seeds contain selenium, which may help prevent cataracts and is good for overall eye health as well.
We all age eventually. As my 82 year old mother says, “It beats the alternative.” I believe, however, that HOW we age is in large part due to our daily living health habits. Do you eat plenty of fruits and veggies, get enough sleep and exercise? Do you take vitamins with could be beneficial for your specific health concerns? When it comes to natural eye health and preventing eye problems, there is much we can do to keep our eyes healthy into our boomer years.
Natural Solutions for Restless Leg Syndrome
I’ve suffered from Restless Leg Syndrome, or RLS, off and on for many years and it can be very frustrating and irritating. I didn’t even know it had a name until someone invented a drug for “Restless Leg Syndrome.” No one really knows what causes this “syndrome,” but it affects 10% of the population. Many people don’t even realize they have it or that natural solutions, not an RLS drug, can offer help.
My favorite natural solution is Nighttime Leg Calm by Nature’s Inventory Wellness Oils.
This little bottle of natural essential works almost immediately. Just place some on the lower back and tail bone area and rub it in and no more RLS! I put Night Time Leg Calm on every evening before sitting down to watch TV and it works like a miracle.
Night Time Leg Calm is an all natural essential oil that costs only $15.95 per bottle and lasts about 4 to 6 months on average so it’s very cost effective. If you’d like to order Nature’s Inventory Night Time Leg Calm, put HD10 into the promo code area and receive a 10% discount on your entire order. Remember too, orders over $35 automatically receive free shipping.
Other natural solutions the might help your Restless Leg Syndrome are:
- Iron deficiency might be causing your RLS. I tried some iron supplements that were easy on the stomach and this seemed to help.
- Folic Acid deficiency - I was already taking folic acid so this didn’t help me, but it might help you.
- Start going for walks during the day and do stretches in the evening before bed. This was very helpful to me. I was already a dedicated walker but doing yoga stretches in the evening really helped.
- Try meditation or deep breathing to relax.
Drugs have been invented to treat RLS but all drugs have side effects and natural solutions work with your body and have no side effects. If you are worried about it, check your RLS out with a doctor to make sure there is no serious underlying condition like a thyroid problem, but chances are, you can find relief with the natural remedies above.
For more information on essential oils and more on Nature’s Inventory specials and sales, click here.
Nature’s Inventory offers 100 pure, natural essential oils with help many conditions. Can’t sleep? I use Nature’s Inventory Sleep Oil to help me get a good night’s sleep. Between that and the Night Time Leg Calm, I no longer suffer from sleepless nights.
One thing I love about Nature’s Inventory is that they off specials to customers all the time. Here are a few:
- free shipping on orders over $35.
- The “oil of the week” - Each week different oils are featured for discounts
- Other sales like the “Just ten bucks” sales where each and every oil is only $10.
- Plus many more.
Once you sign up as a Nature’s Inventory Customer, email updates on sales and specials comes right to your inbox.
Easy Money Making Ideas
1. Trim your spending - This is the simplest way to create extra money in your budget. Start keeping track of your expenses for a month - every penny you spend. Where can you trim? Could you read magazines at the library or get them at a used book store instead of subscribing? Could you trim extra features from your satellite TV or cell phone plan? Could you eat at home more or use budget ingredients like pasta? Everybody has extras they don’t really need. However, if you truly enjoy something, take that into consideration too. If you save one of your magazines for the recipes or features, it might be worth keeping.
2. Save money on books - Books at the library are free and libraries also offer audio books and movies too. Check out used book stores and while youre’ there sell your old books for cash or a credit to spend on more books.
3. Coupons save you money! - Check the weekly newspaper or sign up for online coupon sites. Sign up with restaurant websites to get free meals or appetizers - especially near your birthday. Some grocery stores also have special days when they double coupons so check that out.
4. Shop store brands - The taste and quality of these has greatly improved over the years and higher paying name brands cost more.
5. Combine errands into one trip - Keep a running list of where you need to go and what you need to buy and combine your shopping into one weekly trip to save money on gas. Better yet, if you have a friend or relative who needs to go shopping, go together and have a visit at the same time you are saving.
6. Give the gift of time to save money - When a special event comes up, offer your services instead of a gift that costs money. Offer babysitting services to your sister or mow the lawn for your dad.
7. Give homemade gifts - People appreciate the thought that goes into making a gift and it doesn’t have to be elaborate to say “I care.” Bake cookies or a cake, or cook a meal and deliver it.
8. Cancel memberships to health clubs - Walking is free or you can buy an exercise DVD for about $10 and use it every day. If you have a hard time staying motivated without going to the gym, grab a friend or your dog and walk every day. Many malls open early for walkers too so the weather doesn’t have to be a deterrent.
9. Sell things you don’t need. Besides selling books to used book stores, you can sell things online too with sites like eBay or CraigsList. Consignment stores also take items to sell for a percentage of your profits.
10. Have a yard sale. Better yet, get with neighbors and have a neighborhood yard sale so you can all chip in on advertising or making signs. Clean out your closet or garage. Everybody has things laying around they don’t need any longer. if you like doing it, you could create a business of buying items other people are selling at yard sales and reselling it online.
11. Sell things you make - Do you know how to sew, paint, crochet or knit, grow plants or bake? All these items can be sold at craft fairs or in consignment shops too.
12. Offer services as a home business - Offering services is an inexpensive business to start up. Have some business cards printed up for services like tutoring, sewing, cooking, lawn care or house cleaning. Pet sitting, child or senior care is also much needed. I pay our pet sitter $20 a day to come twice a day and feed and care for our pets when we go out of town. I’ve done daycare and house cleaning in my time too and I know people appreciate good, reliable service.
13. If you’d like to raise money to donate to a cause, hold a bake sale or yard sale and give the proceeds to your favorite charity. Sometimes you can get free advertising in your local newspaper by having them do an article on your sale. Ask others to donate items too or help you work the sale.
14. Repair your clothing instead of tossing it. Learn to sew and mend. It isn’t difficult and many sewing centers or craft stores offer simple classes to help you.
14. Remember too that NOT buying something is also saving money. Do your research before you make a purchase to get the best price. Check online for promo codes. Better yet, you may decide you don’t need it after all.
15. Save money on drinks by drinking more water and less bottled water, soda or fancy coffees. Get a filter for your faucet and a reusable water bottle to save big and create less waste.
16. Skip the fast foods and eating out - Cook healthy dinners and snacks at home. Take your lunch to work. Pack snacks like nuts or pretzels in zip loc bags and carry them with you. It’s healthier and will keep you from indulging in more expensive or high calorie options just because you’re hungry.
These are just a few money saving ideas for you to try. Once you get into the money saving mode, it’s fun to come up with new ideas and you’ll love what it does for your budget too.