Sex, Health, Diet Info

One of the advantages of reaching midlife is that we are finally finished with all those issues that make childhood and adolescence such a pain in the neck, such as needing set bedtimes as well as  regular dental and eye checkups; having to worry about using protection during sex and about cigarette smoking; getting all those shots to prevent diseases and wearing helmets to prevent sports injuries; needing to eat all our vegetables and avoid sugar as well as not missing gym class. What a relief to let these issues fade right along with our memories of tetherball on the school playground!

Not so fast. Would it surprise you to know that you still have to be aware of each and every one of the above so-called “child/adolescent” health issues?  

For instance, what about set bedtimes? The obvious reason that we needed enforced, regular  bedtimes each night was so that we would get enough sleep. Being tired and sleepy the next day in school caused everything from lousy concentration to crabby moods. Now that we’re in midlife, many of us believe that sleep is no longer an issue. This is not the case at all. It’s still essential to our health and wellbeing. Recent studies have shown that not only do sleep disturbances often indicate a serious health problem, but that lack of sleep can actually cause health problems, such as weight gain. Polls have shown that nearly two thirds of adults over the age of sixty-five have sleep complaints, but that less than 15 per cent of them have been formally diagnosed with a sleep problem. Why? Because we don’t mention sleep problems to our health care providers. Our mothers were right — we still need to be concerned about our bedtimes.

Once we’ve gotten the glasses we need and all our baby teeth are gone, we no longer need to get regular eye and dental checkups as we did in our younger years, right? Again — no. Although our vision does remain stable from young adulthood until we need bifocals, there are common eye diseases that begin to occur in midlife, and that can lead to blindness if not diagnosed.  And even though we no longer have our baby teeth,  other dental issues take the forefront upon reaching midlife, such as gum inflammation which has been shown to be associated with diabetes and heart disease. So, continued regular dental and eye checks are as important as in our younger years. 

And what about sex at midlife and beyond?  We’ve moved from groping and being groped in the backseat of the car to more sophisticated maneuvers in a comfortable bed, and finally, finally no longer have to worry about pregnancy. So we don’t need protection; or so many of us think. Although it’s true that once menopause arrives one can’t get pregnant (warning: make sure you have completed menopause before assuming this as diagnosing menopause can be tricky),  protection is still needed during sex because of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Yes, we can still get those, and in some cases are even more prone to becoming infected after menopause, even after a hysterectomy. And even though we’re past the childbearing years and our reproductive organs seem to have no further use, we still need regular pelvic exams and Pap smears. It is also important at that exam to discuss with our healthcare providers the need for testing for STIs; if there is a new partner or the worry that the current partner is not monogamous, this testing is a must.

STIs are not the only threat held over from our adolescent years; so is cigarette smoking. Many women in midlife think that there is no reason to stop smoking cigarettes at this age, since they wrongly assume that the damage is already done from all the prior years of smoking. This is not the case. No matter how many years one has smoked, stopping can prevent further damage to the heart, blood vessels, and lungs, and in some cases can reverse some of that damage.  

Also relevant to the lungs is the fact that asthma can begin in midlife, where once it was thought to only begin in childhood.  The two major causes seem to be occupational exposure to substances that damage the lungs, and the recreational exposure to air pollution by adults who run predominantly outside. So, a new onset of shortness of breath at this age — even if it occurs only with exercise — does not necessarily mean heart disease; remember that we can develop asthma now.

Did you think you were finished with all those horrible shots you had to have in childhood and adolescence? Sorry, you’re not. There is a recommended immunization schedule for adults in midlife and beyond, just as there are for children. At certain ages over 50 and at certain intervals, you’ll need shots against the flu, certain types of pneumonia, tetanus, and in some instances, shingles and hepatitis.  Ask your primary care provider about these.

And did you pack away your helmet when you gave away your bike with training wheels? Probably ok to have done this since now you will need a bigger size helmet. But you do need a helmet. A recent report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that sports-related injuries in the Baby Boomer population was on the rise, with over 1 million injuries in this age group in 1998 alone, most of the injuries being due to bicycling and basketball.  The same report said that the many head injuries associated with bicycling were probably due to the fact that Baby Boomers use helmets less than younger people do.

The fact that exercise and proper nutrition are as important in midlife and beyond as in childhood may not come as a surprise. Regular exercise at this age has been shown to increase longevity and wellbeing, postpone and possibly prevent dementia, strokes, heart disease, and diabetes, and aid in the treatment of depression. Important to know as well is that several different types of regular exercise are recommended at this age, including aerobic (cardio) exercise, weight-bearing exercise or strength training, and exercises to improve balance and flexibility.

What we eat as we get older is every bit as important as it was in our younger years. One particular healthy way of eating, the Mediterranean diet, has been shown to stave off dementia, prevent heart disease and diabetes, maintain a healthy cholesterol level, and improve longevity. One study showed that this diet even improved sexual function in certain women! This diet is exactly as expected given its name: lots of natural whole foods, like vegetables, fruits, and nuts, lots of fish and olive oil, moderate amounts of wine, and limited amounts of foods containing refined sugar. Controlling the portions of the foods we eat is even more important at this age. Our metabolic rate decreases with age, making it easier to gain weight while eating the same amounts of food as in our younger years.  

So, as you are rummaging through your mother’s attic looking at your old dolls, baseball bat and Ouija Board, and breathing a sigh of relief that you no longer have to worry about being picked for a baseball team or that your best friend copied your paper doll’s dress, don’t get lulled into complacency about your health. Although you once may have thought that taking care of yourself  health-wise would get easier as you get older, you know now that that’s not true. Make your appointments for regular checkups, get more than 5 hours of sleep a night, use protection when having sex, particularly with a new partner, stop smoking no matter how old you are, get the recommended immunizations, be careful and wear your helmet and seatbelts, and exercise regularly and eat well. Your mother’s recommendations from your childhood continue to apply!

©2008 Janet Horn, M.D.

Author Bio
Dr. Janet Horn is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, with training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She spent many years on the fulltime faculty of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she published articles in medical journals on her research interests, including sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, and women’s health. She was also the primary author of several chapters in medical textbooks.  She started her solo private practice in 1990 while continuing to teach as an Associate Professor of Medicine on the part time faculty at Hopkins. She has been selected by Baltimore Magazine as one of the “Top Doctors in Baltimore” and by the Maryland Daily Record as one of the “Top 100 Women in Maryland.”   She is included in the books Consumer’s Guide to Top Doctors (in the US) and Best Doctors in America, Southeast Region.  She is the co-author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to Midlife and Beyond, which will be available this September from New Harbinger Publications.

Everyone wants a healthy and active sex life, but all too often, we forget that we cannot enjoy lovemaking if we aren’t physically fit. A proper diet combined with exercise can affect every aspect of our lives. We are born with one body, and will not get another one. If we expect the one we have to serve us well, we have to take care of it.

One important way of taking care of the body we have is to feed it a balanced diet of nourishing foods, and stay away from those that are detrimental to it.

There’s no one right way to eat that will apply to every human body because each one is unique. And, because of illness, stress, pregnancy, exposure to toxins, the quality of the food supply, and many other factors, no single diet is the ideal diet for everyone at every stage in life. Follow the basic guidelines that will help you find the regiment that’s right for you.

Pile massive amounts of love foods onto your plate and get the essential sex vitamins and minerals, Vitamin E, C, and A, plus selenium. Foods high in nutrients and low in fats will help you stay healthier and dramatically enhance your sex drive.

Loving tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C, which aids in the formation of hormones that are involved in sexual vitality such as estrogen, and progesterone. Passionate peaches are rich in vitamin A, which is important for sexual health, providing various benefits such as a strong thyroid and the making of the hormone progesterone.

Erotic black beans are high in another sex vitamin that helps you stay energized and feeling sexually vibrant. Steamy hot onions can help stave off heart disease so that you don’t need heart disease drugs, which zap a man’s libido and sexual performance. Sensual clams can have amatory effects due to their high levels of zinc, which has been shown to help control prostatitis and impotence.

Diet experts say that the exotic banana is rich in potassium, which is essential for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles, the key to successful lovemaking. The magical asparagus is a rich source of potassium, phosphorous and calcium, all of which are essential for energy, and it stimulates the urinary tract and kidneys (sex drive is derived from the kidneys).

Whatever diet you follow, select fresh foods whenever possible. A varied diet also helps avoid getting too much of something that’s not good for you. One thing for sure, a prudent and carefully planned diet can be one of the best tactics for a healthier sex life and longevity.

You might be reading this because you are facing a situation where you’ve tried everything you can, but despite all of your efforts your weight is still out of control. One possibility to keep in mind is a surgery referred to as lap banding. There are however some things you may want to keep in mind. The first step is to be sure that you meet the qualifications. With regard to this type of procedure, there are a number of guidelines that have been established by the National Institute of Health or NIH. You must be older than 18, you must have a Body Mass Index or BMI of 40-80 to start with. It’s also worth noting that certain pre-existing medical conditions may exempt you from certain exceptions. One of the other requirements is that your doctor has already worked with you directly on a diet and exercise program without any success. These guidelines are US only though. Because of this, you may be tempted to look elsewhere for treatment. Mexico is a much less expensive option compared to the US, but there are some hidden costs though. You do have to shoulder the financial burden of the procedure yourself in this case, which is $8500 and up. Something else to keep in mind is the cost of air travel, as well as hotel stay, and any dietary restrictions you have while on your trip. Something else to consider is your checkups. You may need to travel back to the other country, or else find someone locally to help you. Regardless of how you handle it, you’ll need to be sure that it’s all set up ahead of time. You can also have the surgery in the United States, but it’ll cost you. Most procedures are $14,000. This is just to start though. Consider the cost of other services like hospital stay, lab work, follow-ups, O.R. Costs, surgery costs and it can add up pretty quickly. You might find that your insurance company will cover the procedure though. If you have the right insurance company and plan, it can really help. The best thing is to contact your insurer to be sure. One thing that will definitely help is if you can show that you have some condition that causes your obesity. The good news is that there are a lot of options. The bad news is that there are a lot of options. Consider looking into the insurance situation first. Consider all of your options. The Mexico option might at first seem attractive but be sure to vett all of the complications.

For more information on lap banding, please visit http://www.lapbanding-reviews.com/.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/what-to-expect-to-pay-for-a-lap-banding-procedure-1581804.html