Day: August 15, 2018

I recently read an article in Real Simple Magazine about the 7 habits of people who age well.  I thought they made some excellent points.  Want to know the 7 habits?

1. Maintain a positive attitude.  I think this one is important no matter what your age is – if you’re negative all the time, you’re not going to feel well and people won’t want to be around you!  When things get bad for me, my mantra is always “it could be worse!”
2. Watch what you eat.  Could NOT agree more – see my post a few weeks ago about my weight gain!
3. Watch how much you eat.  In a world of super-sized food choices, be smart about what you consume.  This article will give you some great info about serving sizes and portioning.
4. Exercise regularly.  Even if it’s just a nightly walk, MOVE!  Yes you might have sore muscles in the beginning of any exercise regime, but it doesn’t take long before the benefits outweigh (pun intended) the soreness.  I kickbox twice a week and walk 2-3 miles 2 or 3 times a week.  I hate it when I miss the gym now!  Exercise not only helps with the weight that seems to come with aging – it also helps stave off dementia, diabetes and a whole host of other conditions that can come in old age.
5. Stay social.  It’s important to have a network of friends and relatives to rely on.  They’ll help you keep the issues in your own life in perspective!
6. Protect your skin from the sun.  I’m so fair skinned, I live for shade and sun screen in the summer or I burst into flame!  But the incidence of skin cancer is on the rise – so make sure you’re taking care of your skin too.
7. Get plenty of sleep.  The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep a night.  And their studies have shown a correlation between lack of sleep and heart disease, obesity, diabetes and memory loss.  So take a nap and try not to be such a night owl.

I’m already in the habit of most of these points – sleep is always my challenge….  But I think I’m aging well so far and I want that to continue.  How about you?

My gym has sent out notices several times this summer that the childcare center will be closed for a certain period of time to allow disinfecting for Hand Foot and Mouth disease.  I don’t use the childcare center so I mostly disregard the notices, but since I have no clue what this is about, today let’s find out.

According to MayoClinic.org, it is defined as:

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease — a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children — is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, blisters in the mouth and a red rash on the palms of the hands/soles of the feet which is generally not itchy.  In infants, it can also include a rash on the buttocks that mimics diaper rash.  And along with all these unpleasant items you generally feel unwell and may not have an appetite.  Doesn’t sound delightful does it?

The infection is very common in childcare settings because the root virus is associated with not washing hands well after using the bathroom.  Given the amount of diaper changes and the number of small kids in daycare settings once the infection gets going it’s hard to stop.  A child can be infected and not show symptoms for several days – and it takes several days for it to get out of a child’s system.  It can also be spread via a sneeze, saliva or contact with the fluid from the blisters of an infected child.  So the potential for passing the infection is certainly high.

The good news is that the infection is fairly mild and can easily be treated with about a week of rest at home and OTC medications like Tylenol or Advil.  And as a child’s immune system matures, it recognizes the virus and generally keeps subsequent infections more mild or non-existent.

Want to know more?  Check out these articles:

• Info from the CDC
• Mayo Clinic
• Yahoo

Hand Foot and Mouth is on the rise so make sure your kids are practicing good hygiene to help avoid it!