We all know about calcium, how good and necessary it is for strong bones and teeth.  We all probably know as well in what foods high quantities of calcium are found such as milk, cheese and yogurt among others.

Latest studies show that calcium is also helpful in maintaining the arteries and a healthy heart.  It is the only natural nutrient which plays this double role. In fact, it is known to lower blood pressure.  This wonder mineral also aids in weight loss, eliminating bad fat.

However, most recent research in various countries and through many tests show that in  order for calcium to be assimilated in the body and deposited where it should be, in the bones and the blood, and perform its miracles, vitamin K2 is needed.  Where is vitamin K2 found?

For many years the Japanese have known the benefits of menaquinones which is found in vitamin K2. The highest amount is in a food called natto (fermented soja) which they eat in abundance.  In other parts of the world where this food is not consumed one can get vitamin K2 in the following foods: dark green vegetables, meat, eggs and high fat dairy products.

A balanced diet, by eating a variety of food, will supply enough vitamin K2 so that one will feel healthy and strong because of the assimilation of calcium in the body.

Grandma Nature

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When you see a banana do you think of a monkey?  It so happens that bananas are the most purchased fruit in supermarkets.  So, there is at least one similarity between man and monkeys!

Bananas are good for you.  They are full of potassium and magnesium.  Both are important as we age.  Potassium is very important in controlling blood pressure and stimulates enzymes and regulates metabolism.  Magnesium keeps the nerves solid and is efficient in preventing leg cramps. A combination of sugar and amino acids found in bananas enables the brain to synthesize serotonin, “the happiness hormone”.

Bananas are very low in calories and very inexpensive.  They can, of course, be eaten on their own but are delicious in baked goods and as an accompaniment to cereals as well.

Nurture your body by eating bananas. – One could even say that a banana a day keeps the doctor away.

Grandma Nature

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It would be interesting to know the origin of the expression, “He’s driving me nuts”.  Nuts do not make you crazy!  On the contrary, they are very, very good for you.

There are many kinds of nuts-cashew, almond, walnut, Brazil nut, hazelnut, etc. and each has its own beneficial property for the body.  This is of special interest as we age.

Of all nuts, cashews have the highest rate of magnesium, which is very efficient in controlling cramps, especially leg cramps.

Pistachio nuts are used in baking and in mediterranean dishes.  They are very rich in vitamin B which is so valuable for the nervous system.

Walnuts are known to be very healthy for the heart, with their antioxidant properties.

Almonds play an important role in containing and even decreasing bad cholesterol levels while enhancing the good cholesterol.

Almonds and Brazil nuts are the only nuts that are alkaline in the acidic-alkaline chart.  Most of the food we eat is acidic, and it is this acidity in the body which promotes cancer and rheumatism among other ailments.

Judging from what is known about them, it is better to pick up a bag of nuts at the grocery store than potato chips or other starchy foods.  The choice of nuts is there, and they are all healthy.

Grandma Nature

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Hendrica Okondo, 55, Kenya

AgeEsteem makes me think of feisty, fantastic wise women.

I think my fear of aging is that people will forget that I’m intelligent and I can still do the things I did when I was younger and that they will do things for me instead of ask me.

Hendrica’s Tips: I think the passion to live and just feeling blessed that I’m alive.  I thought I would die at 50.  And here I am meeting all these lovely young people.  I like women especially because there is always a story and they always want to know more about people.  I want to know what their stories are.  That’s what makes me excited.

I am in a line of work that keeps me in contact with like-minded people.  I don’t think it matters where they are.  I’ve met highly powerful women like Michelle Bachelet who is very down to earth and very nice, and I’ve met women in the village in Sudan who were fun to be with just sitting under a tree.  They can laugh at what they went through during the war and still find time to ask whether I have a husband and where are my children.  I think women wherever they are have this personal touch and that is what I love about them.

I think you should affirm yourself and not be concerned with what people think about you.  Just be clear that you are beautiful, not according to the model in the magazine, but beautiful with a good heart.  If you have a beautiful smile it makes it even better.  I think if you pick something you are enthusiastic about, even volunteer, it is good.  I was very inspired by two very important women coming in the other day just to help write certificates for speakers at the Women’s Summit.  That is very inspiring.  It shows just how committed and how engaged they are, which means that they are not sitting at home thinking, I’m lucky I’m bored.  No, they are just ready to go out and help.  It is the kind of thing I find in my village where you find grandmothers who are ready to come to church at any time and to decorate the church. -  They’re ready to do any work that you want them to do.  At the end of it you can all sit around and just laugh.  (I’m sorry you don’t have Hendrica’s contagious laugh live.  She shares it generously.)  I think that laughter just makes it easier.  I have great admiration for the women at the world office of the YWCA .  They work really very hard, and sometimes when things are going terribly wrong they just sit down and laugh.  I think it is a strength that keeps you going.

We need to stay current.  I love my job.  I get to talk about sex to women and they seem very shocked when I do because somehow I don’t think that my face looks like someone talking about sex.  I’m a Catholic, and I love to talk to Catholics about sex, because the Pope should have nothing to say about sex since he doesn’t practice it.  Especially in the continent I work in where we have 6 million young women that were born positive.  They have the virus.  So I get very angry when people say we want a virus free world,   These kids will never lead a virus free life, but they do want to have sex.  They also watch television and they know that relationships are what makes a young person.  If we do not tell them how to protect themselves, we will not reach the target of zero transmission.  They will do it secretly and they will transmit the virus.  This is a reality.  You can’t preach abstinence to someone who already has the virus.  So it becomes very serious work and I believe that women have a right to make decisions about their own bodies.  I definitely think if you want to have an abortion and you have information and you make a conscious decision and you understand the consequences you should have a right to safe and proper services to have the abortion.

Hendrica Okondo is Global manager for reproductive health and rights and HIV, and also the focal point for Africa at the World Office of the YWCA.

Bonnie Fatio

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Daniel Meylan, 76, Paris, France

Age esteem?  Esteem is already important alone.  With age it is even more important.  It is good to put them together.  We’re not so old.  We must continue to esteem ourselves and to care for ourselves well, not let ourselves go.

Daniel’s Tips:  I force myself not to let go of what I have always done.  I oblige myself to stay physically fit and to not be a vegetable.  I walk a lot.  A couple weeks ago I fell because I was racing to catch a bus.  It was a lesson.  I will not do that again.  It has taken me these weeks to recuperate my normal way of walking, which has to do with regaining confidence.

At present I have a problem.  If I don’t know people, I have a difficult time to carry on a conversation like I used to.  I am destabilized because I don’t find my words like I used to.  As a result I panic which makes it worse.  To improve this I am going to a coach specialized in helping me find the words that I have lost.  It is a long journey.  I completely stopped speaking at a certain point and now I am trying to recuperate the vocabulary I’ve lost.  I’ve also lost much of my English and my German.  Now I force myself to make conversation with others.  I actively engage in social occasions.

For the intellectual side I read books on the Middle Ages to learn about that era.  It is very difficult for me to concentrate, but I insist on doing it.  It is also another way to recuperate some of my words.

It’s also important to be with family, with the grandchildren regularly.

I go to a center for older people several times a week.  There is a woman there who is 100.  She manages to keep physically and mentally fit and is a strong role model for me.  She is well dressed.  I am considered someone who is still completely present.  I feel comfortable there but sometimes wonder why I go.  I am still completely independent which isn’t the case for most.  I get there and home by my own means.  I want to keep my autonomy.  It’s important for me.

We go there to live as well as possible as long as possible.  I am in the section that designs and paints in the morning and does gymnastics in the afternoon, though I am in much better physical form than the others.

I am strict with myself for all questions of remaining in shape.

Bonnie Fatio

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Don Adams, 78, USA

Age esteem is both for yourself inwardly and outwardly.  It is two different things.  One is esteem for yourself and the other is to encourage other senior folks to have high esteem for themselves.

One of my biggest concerns with aging is to not forget things. – To have the capacity to keep all the things going that I have a need to keep going for myself and my family.  I have the concern about being able to do that. – All the myriad of things that one does on a day to day basis.  If you lose track of some, the impact of not getting those things done, especially if you are the only person aware of the need to do it, may have an impact on family and friends.

One of my big concerns is to try to insure that I do whatever I can do day by day to contribute to the future life for my wife, Lynne, so if something were to happen to me she can have some reasonable life and not have a life of being in poverty.

Don’s Tips: Try to expand your sense of humor, not taking yourself too seriously.  Constantly evaluate and reevaluate all the things you have had that were important to you and things that you felt that you had to do and other people had to do to test those against reality.  Determine is this really true or do you need to rethink or re-evaluate?  Open up your thoughts, which I think is very important.  It’s not just thoughts; it’s all aspects of your life – not getting in ruts, not being willing to look outside the things you have been holding dear or sacred.

My advice to myself would have been to not have a double bypass operation.  I should have exercised more and watched my habits in eating, etc.   I would recommend that to other people. Unfortunately for some like with me this has taken place over my whole life time, so what is in my arteries is in my arteries.  Develop the skill and ability to communicate to people.  If you find me giving advice understand that if you chose not to take it that it’s ok.  You can do something with it or not do something with it.

You have to keep expanding your circle in all areas of your life whether it’s with people, skills, or whatever.  Keep trying to expand and not just live within what is familiar and what has been part of your life.  Do not say this is wonderful; it cannot be improved upon.  Expand in all areas.

Don Adams and his family have lived in Belgium and England as well as the USA.

Bonnie Fatio

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This seems to be a month of action!  Not only is this the month of March, making you think of rhythmic steps and stomping feet. – It is also the month when Spring begins.

Rhythmic steps, stomping feet moving forward.  Add to this the leap and bounce of an upward spring.  This is clearly a month to move onward and upward with your age esteem.

Are you involved in regular physical activity that keeps you energized?  Physical exercise not only stimulates your body; it also keeps your mind alive.  Both increase your age esteem.

• Treat yourself to a daily walk.  Walking is one of the best exercises for your total well being, and the easiest.
• Join an aqua gym exercise class.  Water exercises are excellent and more gentle on your joints.
• Dance!  Research proves it to be one of the finest exercises for balance as well as being fun.  Dance to music at home or join a formal class.  Both are great options.
• Play with children.  Children seem to be constantly on the move.  You get exercise without even realizing it. – And it keeps your own inner child alive!
• Ride a bicycle.  Best is to ride outside on bicycle paths, but if this is not possible as stationary bike will do.  With the new outdoor electric bicycles, today you can ride up steep grades without hurting your joints.

Whatever you choose for physical action this is the month to commit to it.  Your overall health and age esteem will thank you.  When we feel good physically we are happier, healthier and more confident.

Bonnie Fatio

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What came first – the chicken or the egg?  This question can be debated again and again but one thing is for certain.

According to the most recent research, eggs are very good for you.  Yes, eggs are healthy for you and more can be eaten than previously recommended as they are not linked to bad cholesterol.   There is no danger for most people to eat even two per day, according to one study, but even three or four per week would be beneficial.  This amount will not increase cholesterol levels or the risk of heart disease.

It is shown in several studies that eggs protect against the health risks which come with aging.

Eggs are rich in vitamin D, so needed for strong bones.  Two other substances, lutein and zeaxanthin, are found in them which help prevent macular degeneration and loss of eyesight as one ages, and control the development of cataracts.

Being very rich in protein with few calories, eggs are a valuable substitute for meat.  Memory is enhanced by eating eggs as well.  Finally, when you do eat eggs, you will feel full and thus eat less and thus lose weight!  Of course, they are beneficial when incorporated with other ingredients as well such as quiches or soufflés.

So, have eggs on hand all the time.  Eat eggs for healthy aging!

Grandma Nature

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Beans, beans, the magical food; the more you eat the better your mood…

…. for your body will profit in many ways and you will feel great.  There are various types of beans – red kidney beans, white navy beans, green lima beans, brown lentils – and all are available in all parts of the world.  The beans, as opposed to string beans, are dried and have to be soaked before cooking, usually overnight.

They contain many nutrients and they have very little fat and thus no cholesterol.  Dried beans contain a lot of protein and can be substituted for meat or other high protein foods.  They regulate sugar in the blood and are important in controlling cardio-vascular conditions such as high blood pressure.   As they are very inexpensive, they can be eaten often and can be prepared in many different ways to vary meals.

Grandma Nature

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PARMAGIANO REGGIANO

Mammamia!   What is this?

Actually, it is the Italian name for parmesan, the well-known, universally used Italian cheese so important in the cuisine of Italy.

Parmesan has a great quantity of calcium and is very low in fat, thus nearly no cholesterol.  This is a big contrast to most other cheeses which are high in fat.  Calcium, in addition to strengthening bones and teeth, is very important in controlling high blood pressure.

This cheese is also rich in protein and phosphorus and contains many vitamins.  It stimulates digestion and because of this it is very good for children.

Parmesan can be added to food during cooking or sprinkled on top of prepared dishes.  Aside from pasta, it is delicous in omelettes.  As cocktail food, serve small cubes of parmesan. It is very tasty, and the health benefits are enormous.

Parmesan is made in certain parts of Italy only, in the Parma region, and is aged for one to three years in cellars before being put on the market.   Add it to your grocery list and enjoy!

Grandma Nature

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