Senior Citizens and Global Warming: Polar Opposites?

(January, 30, 2015)In today’s day and age, the jaw-dropping effects of global warming have become a worldwide phenomenon and scientists can’t believe how fast it’s approaching society. Global warming is the increase in temperature on the Earth as a result of the trapping of heat by overly abundant greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide. Since 1870, global sea levels have increased by an astonishing eight inches and keeps growing at a steady rate. Also, according to the US Global Change Research Program, temperatures have rose by about two degrees in the last fifty years and only keeps getting hotter. Due to the increase in temperature, there has been an increase in precipitation as well. In addition, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are at the highest levels that they have been in the last hundreds of thousands of years.

Global warming clearly is an issue worldwide for many reasons, but more specifically for health reasons. The portion of society probably the most affected by health issues related to global warming is senior citizens. Global warming creates major risks and dangers for senior citizens because extreme heat for days at a time can cause heat strokes or dehydration and possibly even death. Senior citizens with diabetes have it one worse being that their risks for illness from the heat are greater. Also, global warming creates smog, a combination of high temperatures and pollution from greenhouse gas emissions. This smog degrades the quality of the air in the atmosphere and the higher the temperature, the worse it is. This creates a problem for senior citizens with heart and respiratory diseases and increases the risk of severe health issues and even death.

In the end of the day, global warming has had an enormous impact on senior citizens especially and its only going to get worse in the future. The bottom line to sum up this article is: senior citizens and global warming are POLAR OPPOSITES and its only getting worse.

Foods that Help Lower your Cholesterol | Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home

First of all, it is important to clarify the difference between good and bad cholesterol. LDL is bad cholesterol; it contributes to the building up of plaque which can clog your arteries. This is compared to good cholesterol known as HDL, which helps remove the plaque buildup caused by LDL. Studies show that bad cholesterol is relatively common in seniors, which is why it is so important to take preventative measures to ensure your arteries stay healthy, or else it can lead to a heart attack, stroke, and other heart conditions. Although certain foods contribute to the plaque buildup caused by LDL, certain foods with high amounts of HDL can reverse those effects. For this reason, the dietary department at Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home puts a special emphasis on preparing healthy, low cholesterol foods for their residents. Below are a few delicious foods that can help you get the job done in a natural way:

- Oats. Try to incorporate this LDL-combating food into your breakfast. If plain cooked oats are too bland, try mixing in blueberries, milk, or even maple syrup to give the oats a delicious taste.

- Almonds. A nutrient rich food that is proven to help lower bad cholesterol, the recommended serving is about one handful a day. You can eat them as a snack or topped on your favorite dishes. When choosing which almonds to buy it is best to stay away from sugar coated almonds, or salted almonds.

- Tomatoes. Interestingly enough, tomatoes were only recently found to help lower LDL. Tomatoes are generally available all year round, and can be eaten in many different ways. In fact tomatoes are probably part of your daily eating habits already. If not, try including tomato juice and tomato sauce in your meals, as well as adding tomatoes in your salads, sandwiches and almost any other dish.

- Green tea. Recommended by studies as an excellent natural way to lower your bad cholesterol level. Start by drinking one to two freshly brewed cups of green tea daily. However, note that green tea contains a substantial amount of caffeine, so take that into account if you like to enjoy a nice hot cup before bed.

Brooklyn Queens Nursing Home believes that these four foods represent easy ways to either lower bad cholesterol levels in your body, or prevent it from building up. Studies have even shown that sometimes these foods are better than medication when it comes to lowering LDL levels and breaking down the plaque. As we all know, the heart is one of the most vital organs so it is important to keep it healthy!