• Priscilla Nason Shartle

hearthealthyboomer

~ Living healthy after age seventy.

hearthealthyboomer

Monthly Archives: May 2015

Go Green!

17 Sunday May 2015

Posted by prisnasonshartle in Go Green!

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changes, chia and flax seeds, coconut milk, fruits, garden greens, green smoothies, investing in your health, kale, lose weight, vegetables, Vernon Dassler, whole foods diet

the-importance-of-green-drinksWhen I was a little girl my grandmother used to say, “Oh look Pris, it comes in green.”  Green was not her favorite color, but it was a close second to the color pink.  I used think that is why her daughter, my mother, pledged Delta Zeta as pink and green were its colors and so became my mother’s favorite colors.  And oddly enough, they are my favorite colors as well.  But when it came to green food growing up, they were on my “no way” list.  I did not like fruit or vegetables and was not afraid to say so.

Thank goodness I outgrew that stage of life and came to love all kinds of fruits and vegetables.  But drinking a green drink never crossed my mind until I started growing my own garden and investing in my health.  By taking into my own hands what foods I eat, I found that green smoothies heavy with garden greens, fresh (or frozen) fruits, coconut milk, chia and flax seeds make for a great snack or meal.

Many nutritionists encourage us to not ignore the importance of a daily green smoothie.  And with lots of varieties to choose from, one could never get bored.  I found a recipe the other day that was a mango-lime-banana-kale-coconut milk green smoothie at only 318 calories which is low for an entire meal.  I freeze my bananas and cut them up before putting in the blender to make for a cold smoothie.

Vernon Dassler, CN encourages us in his book, “Sick and Tire? Of Being Sick and Tired,” to make a change in our eating habits. He reminds us that only we have the power to make the changes.  “Each individual must make wise choices as to the method of instituting these changes. Some start with small steps in the plan but others may do better by making more radical changes all at once. Connect with the wiser part of yourself and consider which type of personality you are before jumping into any change,” writes Dassler.

Green smoothies are also ideal for weight-loss because they are an ideal fat burning food as well as nutrient-rich, loaded with fiber and low in fat. Of course one should avoid obvious things like dairy products, fats, sugars and artificial sweeteners, store-bought juices, canned foods and powders other than hemp or rice. According to Tracy Russell at Incredible Smoothies, “Green smoothies work best if they are part of a healthy, whole foods diet that helps you lose weight and maintain your ideal size and shape.”

Next time I’m in my backyard, I’ll pick some kale and dandelion greens and make me a smoothie and can say, “Oh look, it comes in green!”

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Healthy Bones

17 Sunday May 2015

Posted by prisnasonshartle in Uncategorized

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bone density scan, calcium suppliments, healthy bones, nutritionist, osteoporosis, vitamin D

A few months ago I had a hip bone density scan which showed no osteoporosis.  Considering only one hip was scanned, I feel secure that the rest of the bones in my body are fine as well.  I wasn’t surprised as I had been taking one 600mg calcium pill a day for many years.  But turning sixty-five, I wanted to make sure that was enough.  Although the results of the scan proved promising, my nutritionist suggested I change to liquid calcium with magnesium.  The one I use is supplemented with Vitamin D3.

I find this combination interesting because I drink coconut milk and it too combines calcium, magnesium and vitamin D in the milk. The vitamin D helps my body absorb the calcium.  According to Speaking of Women’s Health, “To maintain strong, healthy bones, you have to consume a diet rich in calcium throughout your life and your need for calcium becomes even greater as you age.”

The U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (USRDA) for calcium is 1,000 milligrams per day for men 51 to 70 years old. Postmenopausal women who are not taking estrogen should get 1,500 milligrams per day.  So if I combine my coconut milk (150 mg) and my vitamin supplement (600 mg), I’m only getting 750 mg of calcium a day – just half of what I should be getting per day.

To make up the difference, the next thing I did was look at is what other foods are high in calcium.  That lead me to things such as salmon with bones, sardines, kale, broccoli, dried figs and calcium fortified juices and breads. Not liking any of those things except kale and breads, I was beginning to get concerned.

With further study I found that I can remember to add 150 mg if I eat oatmeal for breakfast, then add an additional 94 mg for a forth a cup of almonds to snack on, and 111 mg of almond butter added to my 60 mg of whole grain bread for lunch.  Okay, now I’m 200 mgs short.  Snack on a box of grapes, add a cup of chopped kale to my daily smoothie and maybe I’ll get there, but most likely not.  And that’s okay.  The fact that I’m willing to work toward reaching my goal of 1,500 mg of calcium a day, is enough right now.

kale

My kale bed.

But here’s the part that is really frustrating.  I read Reed Mangels, PhD, RD at The Vegetarian Research group that about 20 mg of calcium is lost with each gram of sodium in the diet.  And higher dietary sodium is associated with lower bone density.  I do not want to go two steps forward in my journey and then take three steps backward.  I can control the amount of sodium I add to a meal but what about what’s already in the food I buy, especially canned foods?  The answer of course is for me to cook with fresh or frozen food, dried beans and even better grow my own vegetable which I enjoy doing every season.

Or as my husband suggests just take one of his 600 mg calcium pills and I should be good to go.  Now off to exercise and keep those strong bones working.

To Age or Not to Age?

12 Tuesday May 2015

Posted by prisnasonshartle in Aging

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aging, celebrating, healthy eating, journaling, Louisiana, meditating, mortality, no regrets, Psychology Today, Resa Alboher, telling our stories

Resa Alboher asks in Spirituality & Health Magazine, “Why resist aging when you can celebrate the triumph of still being here?”  Afraid of aging, her life changed when she was faced with a diagnosis of a rare cancer.  She began seeing herself grow old and looking forward to it.

Mama and Claudie

Mama and Claudia, my Grandmother

Fortunately, I have never faced death from a disease, but I have questioned my mortality especially when I saw both my mother and her mother die in their early 60’s from cancer of the pancreas.  It took me years to realized I did not have to die like them; that in fact, I could easily live years longer.  And so I embraced my aging.  Not comparing myself to their deaths placed me in the present where I belonged.

By embracing my age and how I looked, I was able to also embrace the wisdom that came with aging.  I then began to celebrate my aging by sharing my experiences and writing about them.  When we tell our stories, according to Dr. Lissa Rankin, in Psychology Today, “It transforms our lives.”  She goes on to say, “There is strength in telling our stories.” Why? “Because telling your story—while being witnessed with loving attention by others who care—may be the most powerful medicine on earth.”

Today, I keep my dreams alive.  Five years ago when I celebrated turning sixty I had a tiny fleur-de-lis tattoo inked just above me left ankle.  A symbol of my love for the place I grew up, Louisiana, I shared that experience with my forty year-old son getting like me his first and last tattoo. I have much still to do in this life and I have no plans to just sit around and wait for opportunities.  Instead, I make them happen.

I eat healthy, exercise generously if not regularly, volunteer in the community, take care of my grandchildren and serve as my oldest granddaughter’s Girprisl Scout leader.  I stay balanced writing in my daily journals and meditations. I grow vegetables and herbs in my backyard and cook most of my meals from scratch.  My goal is to not compromise what I’ve accomplished by having any regrets. Yes, there is always room for improvement, but I feel really good about having no regrets.

Finally, at sixty-five I’ve come to accept how I look now.  I realize I will never look like I did ten, twenty or thirty years ago, however, I feel I look better.  Every wrinkle, blue vein, age mark, and white hair on my head makes me who I am – unique and grateful for each day that I can grow older. My answer is clear; how about you?

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