Joan’s Boomer Blog

The benefits of a raw food diet are many, including more energy, easy weightloss, detoxing your body of harmful and unhealthy toxins, improving digestion, promoting good health and healing health conditions you may already have. You don’t even have to go totally raw to benefit, simply add more raw foods like fresh salads, and snacks like this power trail mix recipe to your daily diet.

What is a raw food diet?

Raw foods include fruits and veggies, nuts and other foods, consumed in their natural, uncooked state. Raw foods contain the digestive enzymes which are lost to cooking and which help our bodies absorb the nutrients in the food we eat. For those who love mashed potatoes and steak, this sort of diet isn’t easy, but even if you replace 2-3 meals a day with raw foods you can achieve many of the benefits listed above.

You can purchase many foods in their raw state, such as raw almond butter to replace processed peanut butter. Using a food deyhdrater, you can even add crunch to veggies or snacks and create raw food snacks like fruit leather.

Raw Food Snack Power Trail Mix Recipe

¼ cup Goji Berries
1/8 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/8 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/8 cup raw walnuts
1/8 cup raw almonds
¼ cup raw cacao nibs
¼ cup organic dried fruit of choice
1/8 cup shredded coconut

Combine all ingredients and store in a glass container with a tightly fitted lid.

This recipe came from the bonus Energy Recipes ebook from Yuri Elkaim’s Eating for Energy Program.

Yuri Elkaim’s Eating for Energy Program (this link takes you to his video presentation with diet tricks for increasing energy and losing weight the healthy way. Simply click away from video for info on the book and program) includes the 350 page ebook, Eating for Energy, plus a bonus ebook on energy recipes, extra reports on improving digestion, a cancer and diabetes, and audio presentations on weightloss and other great raw food diet topics which you can download and listen to on your iPod or computer.

As we get older, a eating raw food snacks and other foods becomes even more important because we often have trouble digesting foods. The raw food diet gives us the digestive enzymes to process the food we eat and get the most nutrition from it.

Also, check out my raw food power bar recipe.

Remember, if you’re going to focus on eating more raw foods, organic is best if you can get it.

More information on the Raw Food Diet from WebMD

Is your older dog suffering from arthritis pain? As I’ve gotten older, I know I suffer from more aches and pains than when I was young and it’s the same with my dog. I have a 12 year old lab named Leo,

Leo Age 12

who has always had bad hips and a little difficulty with her back side but in the past year, she’s been having so much trouble it was hard to get her out for her daily walks.

It’s hard to watch an older pet having difficulty walking, running, climbing stairs and even standing sometimes. We remember them so well as carefree puppies (just like us when we were young!) and we’d like them to have a good quality of life as they get older.

When I have an ailment, I search for natural and alternative remedies for myself so I decided to do the same for Leo. I went in search of natural remedies for dog arthritis pain and I found several that are working for her.

First of all, many people who’s dog’s are suffering from arthritis pain are prescribed Rimadyl Dog Arthritis pain relief. About 3 months ago, Leo actually fell on the stairs and couldn’t get up without a struggle. I thought maybe the Rimadyl was better than this so I took my vet’s advice and gave it to her for 10 days to get rid of the worst inflammation. (Although he prescribed 2 pills a day, I only gave her one, then one-half) When I read about the adverse side effects, including fatal toxic reactions, and I knew I didn’t want to keep her on that medication. If you’d like to read more about the adverse effects of Rimadyl, I put a link at the bottom of the page.

I now give Leo some supplements and an all natural homeopathic dog arthritis pain remedy called Arthro-Ionx Pet Arthritis Medicine for Dogs and Cats. The info on this product says it “enhances pet mobility and flexibility, and boosts your pet’s energy levels.” I decided to try this particular remedy because it has great reviews on Amazon.

The directions on the Rimadyl said not to give with any other anti-inflammatory medicine so I started cutting the dosage on the Rimadyl to one half tablet. Instead of giving Leo the final day’s medication, I decided to start the Arthro-Ionx. The Rimadyl had definitely helped Leo to get around better and when I transitioned to the Arthro-Ionx, I didn’t notice any any worsening of her problem at all. The Arthro-Ionx seemed to take care of the worst of Leo’s arthritis problem.

Supplements for Dog’s Arthritis Pain

Supplements can help dogs with arthritis pain, just like they can for people. Both people and dogs benefit from glucosamine. Many senior dog foods have glucosamine in them nowadays or you can get capsules at the store and sprinkle over your dog’s food.

I got some 500 mg glucosamine capsules, which also have chondroitin and MSM in them for Leo and she gets one on her morning food.

I also give both my dogs Joint MAX TRIPLE Strength SOFT CHEWS, which have glucosamine and a few other remedies for joints. I use them for treats and you get get Joint Max in chews or tablets. Leo will eat anything, but my other dog, Molly, won’t touch the tablets.

Another supplement which helps both dogs and people are omega 3 fatty acids. I’ve tried several of these but Grizzly Salmon Oil All-Natural Dog Food Supplement is a pretty good one.

The dosage on the omega 3’s is higher than you might think for a dog. I was giving Leo some each morning before her hip problems but I upped the dosage when she started having more pain and I think it’s helping.

The Arthro-Ionx is a liquid which looks like water and I have a little trouble getting Leo to lick it up. I think maybe she doesn’t see it or smell it enough to know it’s there. What I do now is it on a place and add some omega 3 oils, which she loves, so she licks up the entire thing.

While all these remedies are making things 99% better for Leo, there are still days she struggles a little with the pain. For those days, I got some Arthrin Buffered Canine Aspirin Soft Chews, which last for 12 hours on a dosage.

My vet told me not to give aspirin every day, although several years ago, I had another dog and another vet, and he told me to give that dog an aspirin a day so I figure if Leo is having a painful day, a little aspirin is better than Rimadyl, which I know is harmful. I always give it with food too because too much aspirin can cause bleeding in stomach.

Is all this getting expensive? You bet, but believe me, Rimadyl is VERY expensive if you decide to put your dog on it long term. You also need blood tests every 6 months to see if it’s causing harm to your dog, and blood work is expensive. I spend a lot on foods and supplements to keep my husband and I healthy so our pets are no different. I’d rather spend money on supplements than vet bills.

If you’d like to read more about the adverse effects of Rimadyl, check out The Senior Dog Project

Now that my taxes are done and I’ve decided to turn of the TV because I can’t listen to anymore terrible news about Japan, I’ve decided to revisit Senior Discounts and see what new offers there are out there.

Chick-fil-A, offers fast food chicken and many offer a senior discount as well. My granddaughter loves this place and always asks to eat there if given a choice. I don’t care for fast food but I have to admire Chick-fil-A, which closes on Sundays because the owners are Christian and because I really love their commercials with the cows saying “Eat Mor Chiken.” This ad campaign has won many awards and I figure, if you have to look at advertising, it should be cute and entertaining.

One of the Chick-fil-A restaurants in Fort Worth, Texas will be the first

restaurant in the area to get its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and it’s only the second restaurant in Texas to seek this energy efficient designation.

Many locations also give a 10% senior discount or a free small drink to customers so, combined with everything else, there are many reasons to visit if my granddaughter asks to go.

Another fast food type place offering a senior discount at many locations is Schlotzky’s deli sandwiches. This is one of the only fast food type eating places where I actually like to eat. Many offer a 10% discount to those over age 60. At our area Schlotzky’s, we get a 20% discount using a special card we get from the local newspaper. The Star Telegram offers a “press pass” to subscribers if they subscribe for 6 months or a year at a time, which offers discounts on dozens of area restaurants and attractions.

The only recent news I have on Schozkey’s is that they now offer Cinnabon’s in many locations. I don’t eat these but I love to smell them!

While you’re eating, leave your car at a Jiffy Lube Service Center where many locations offer a 10% discount on parts and services to those over age 55. Discounts may vary by location so check in your local area.

You can also get a hair cut at SuperCuts while you wait for your car. With 20,000 locations in the US, you’re sure to find one near you. Many offer a $2 senior discount on hair cuts for those over age 60.

Have you finished your taxes? Find out how to get senior discounts and help preparing your taxes this year at Senior Discounts.com

Speaking of taxes, many states offer property tax exemptions for seniors, veterans or for homesteading. Here in Texas, we get a discount on our primary residence and also, when we reach 65, our tax level is locked in from future raises. Click here for more tips on property tax discounts from Senior Discounts.com

If any of your favorite haunts offer a senior discount, I’d love for you to post it in the comment section.

Free Senior Discount Newsletters

More Senior Discounts

The following is a guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley;

Research has shown that contrary to the former line of thinking that exercise was damaging to your joints, moderate exercise can actually reduce joint pain and stiffness, strengthen the muscles around your joints, and build one’s flexibility and endurance, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Other benefits include reduced inflammation and reducing your risk for other harmful health conditions, such as obesity, osteoporosis and heart disease.

After consulting with your physician or other health care practitioner to determine if you are healthy enough for certain types of exercise, consider the following tips for exercising through arthritis:

1.) It helps to stretch first.

If you ease into and out of an exercise regimen by warming up and stretching each day, you will likely feel less pain during and after a workout. Arthritis Today provides a variety of helpful free videos that can help you kick off a successful stretching regimen. You may even wish to get comfortable with the idea of simply stretching every day until you feel your body is prepared for the next step.

2.) Add weight training.

Start with very low-weight barbells and leg weights and work all major muscle groups throughout your week, including arms, legs, back, abdominals and chest. When you grow comfortable with bumping up the weight, do so, but test yourself first by doing fewer repetitions when you begin lifting more weight.

3.) Choose low-impact exercise.

Running and jogging and heavy aerobics are great for your heart, but many people with arthritis have pain that won’t allow them to jump, jerk around and pound the ground with force. Many opt for walking briskly 30 minutes a day, incorporating speed walking or walking hills or steep inclines to get their blood pumping. For many, a stationary bike is a good option.

4.) Low-pressure water aerobics.

You can get an excellent aerobic workout through water aerobics and avoid unnecessary pressure on your joints.

5.) Consider a personal trainer.

Personal trainers aren’t necessarily cheap, but they sure are great at customizing low-impact workouts for boomers with arthritis and making sure you are doing aerobics and weight training properly so that you avoid injury. Plus they help keep you motivated to exercise consistently.

By-Line:

This guest post is contributed by Mariana Ashley who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031@gmail.com.

I’ve been learning tai chi for about eight months and I thought it was time to give an update on how I’m doing with it.

First, What is Tai Chi?

Tai Chi is a form of moving meditation, made up of slow, gentle, flowing movements which require focus, concentration and patience to perform. Tai chi began in China as a form of exercise for martial artists and each movement in Tai chi relates to a martial arts theory or posture. The benefits of tai chi include stretching all major joints and muscles, but gently, which makes it excellent for seniors. Tai chi isn’t only low impact, if done properly, it is NO impact.

Tai chi postures open up the flow of chi, or life force energy. Improving the flow of chi is thought to increase health and longevity, quiet the mind and reduce stress. Tai chi practice improves lung health because each movement involves one deep breath - “One movement, one breath,” as my tai chi instructor says many times in each class.

Over time, a daily tai chi practice will improve balance and muscle strength as well.

So, what has Tai chi done for me?

One thing I’ve discovered is that learning tai chi is addictive! I started out going to one class weekly at the local YMCA. Our instructor, Terry, is extremely knowledgeable and very precise. We practice the same movements over and over so we can learn them from the inside out, basically. According to Terry, in China those learning tai chi would do just one simple movement over and over for a month or more, until they had internalized it.

Back to the addicting part. I started getting up 30 minutes early to do my own daily practice. Then I added a Sunday advanced class about 3 weeks ago. Another newby in the class and I found someone from the class who has studied with Terry for 8 years and is willing to meet with us for two hours on Fridays, plus about an hour or so before each class.

So what am I gaining from all these tai chi sessions? Since tai chi is all about letting go of tension in the body, I find that I am not holding my muscles tightly wound like I used to. I think this is something most of us do without even thinking about it. We just live all tensed up.

Try this. Sit in a chair like you normally would. Then close your eyes, take a very slow, deep in breath. Let it out slowly. As you let out your breath, focus on releasing all tension in your body. Just watch it flow away and melt into the chair. This relaxed feeling is how tai chi teaches you to feel, not only when you’re practicing, but all the time. Once you release that tension, it’s hard to feel stressed about anything.

Releasing tension also helps me to sleep more soundly at night, which is a wonderful thing. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve had many nights where I just keep waking up, unable to really fall deeply asleep. Since I started learning tai chi, I only very rarely have a night like that.

Although tai chi provides a gentle stretch to muscles, the more you do it, the more deeply you stretch so my muscles and joints feel much better. Close attention is paid in class to doing each movement the correct way so that no strain is put on the body. I know my yoga teacher always says yoga is not about being in pain but still, I think everyone finds themselves stretching a little beyond the painful point and holding a little longer than is comfortable, just to challenge themselves.

In tai chi, “Muscle strength has not yet been invented,” Terry says. He is constantly telling us to stop trying so hard, stop pushing, stop forcing. Tai chi is about letting go. In weightlifting, you want to do as many reps as possible to build strength and muscle. In tai chi, it is never about how many of given postures you do, it’s about how many you do with understanding.

Since tai chi focuses on moving from your center, balance improves. Movements are slow and flowing so patience, focus and coordination improve.

Since I began as a person who had trouble knowing right from left and certainly couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time. Tai chi is teaching me to get out of the mind and stop thinking about how to move my hands and feet together.

Another thing I’ve noticed is improved leg strength. Although I’ve been practicing yoga for about 2 years and taking other classes at the Y for probably 4 years, tai chi has really built up the strength in my legs. The reason is that you practice with knees slightly bent which builds muscle strength from the bone outward.

I walk my dogs every day and I have to admit that about a year ago I was experiencing some muscle weakness episodes at times when I was walking. Also, if I would get up from a chair after sitting for a long period, my legs would get a weak feeling and my muscles would ache until I’d walked a few steps. It occurred to me the other day that I never have those feelings anymore at all. My legs feel very strong.

I’ve written in my blog before about suffering from some form of neuropathy. Who knows what kind because the neurologist certainly can’t tell me. Anyway, I’ve suffered a full body tingling sensation that was constant for about 5 years. Since doing tai chi on a daily basis, plus qigong, which is another form of energy exercise, my tingling has diminished and not only that, I find I’m not really thinking about it.

The tingling used to bother me every minute of the day, plus I’d suffer from restless leg syndrome and leg pain in the evenings and at night. Now I go through entire days and never notice any of this at all. I think focusing on the tingling was causing stress and the stress was making it worse. I also like to think that opening up the energy channels so the chi can flow freely has reduced any neuropathy symptoms.

If you’re interested in aging well, and who isn’t, give some thought to finding a tai chi class near you. Most YMCAs and senior centers offer tai chi classes, or you can find one at many martial arts studios too. I have several tai chi cd’s and you can learn basic postures from those as well. Qigong exercises are easy to learn and help you reduce stress and learn the flowing, meditative aspects of tai chi.

Here are some of the cd’s I’ve found helpful for getting started:

Tai Chi For Daily Practice by David Dorian Ross. Also available to “rent” for 7 days for just $2.99.

T’ai Chi Beginning Practice also by David Dorian Ross.

Qigong Beginning Practice. This 2 cd set includes a television production done for PBS on qigong by Garri Garapoli. My husband and I do these exercises 2-3 times a week and once you learn them, you can do a few every time you have a few moments and want to loosen up.

Garri Garapoli and his wife, Daisy Lee Garapoli, have several dvd’s out, including Qi Gong for Cleansing, which are all very good.

There are dozens of tai chi and qigong dvd’s out, but these are my favorites.

Don’t expect to learn everything at once when doing either tai chi or qigong. Even learning one movement and practicing that every day is giving you benefits. Find a few exercises you like and do them every day and see what happens. You might just get addicted!

Learn more about tai chi and qigong on WebMd