Drink Water

As we age, our thirst response is blunted. As a result, many older Americans may not be drinking enough water and may be at risk for dehydration, according to a report in the American Journal of Nursing (Volume 106, page 40).

Water is an essential nutrient because it is involved in all the processes in your body. Since water needs vary with diet, physical activity, environmental temperature, and other factors, it is difficult to pin down an exact water requirement. Changes in the body that accompany aging can make you vulnerable to shifts in water balance. In fact, when 35 nursing home residents were followed for six months, a third of them were found to be dehydrated -- they had not drunk enough water and other liquids, had lost too much fluid, or both.

Potential consequences of dehydration include constipation, falls, drug toxicity, urinary tract infections, longer healing times for wounds, and even hospitalization. The cue to drink, known as the thirst response, is blunted with age. At the same time, the body uses water less efficiently as we get older. Certain medications (such as diuretics and laxatives), cognitive impairment, and many illnesses (including diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and infections) also raise the odds of dehydration.

Water is a great liquid to consume, but you can also obtain fluids from fruit juices, low-sodium soups, decaffeinated coffee and tea, and water-rich fruits (watermelon, berries, and grapes) and vegetables (tomatoes and lettuce). The Institute of Medicine recommends about 11.5 cups of fluid a day for women and 15.5 cups for men, which includes water in food. (About a fifth of your fluid intake comes from food.) This doesn’t mean you should start measuring your fluid intake. Instead, the Institute says you can meet your water needs simply by drinking water and other liquids when you’re thirsty.

John's Hopkins Health Alert 10/31/07

Night Sweats in a Hospital Room

I opened my eyes and squinted to see the large clock in my hospital room. 4 AM. Did I get any sleep?. I ran my fingers through my hair. I was sweating from my scalp. My pillow was wet as if I were crying through my hair. Wild dreams released demons from my mind. I rolled to my left side to stare at the IV that pumped a controlled dose of painkiller into my veins. Oh what a night!

The nurse entered my room staring at her clipboard. She inspected the machine that monitored my vitals and asked me how was I doing.

“OK I guess. Is it normal to sweat like this at night?” I asked.

“Some of my patients notice night sweats with this medication.” She replied as if regurgitating text from a nursing journal.

I sipped water through a bent straw then rolled over on my back to stare at the ceiling. Maybe I can catch another nap before my roommate wakes up and turns on the TV.

The Purple Onion

My purple onion began sprouting in my kitchen on my 57th birthday. It was a quiet affair. A tiny sprout pierced the paper-thin skin of the purple onion and peeked out of the darkness. The purple onion had begun its journey.

The next day the purple onion whispered, "Please sir, it is too dark for me to grow here. Can I move closer to the window? I need more light to live."

I considered this request to be reasonable indeed. I made the move. "Thanks!" the purple onion whispered.

Two weeks passed. Now the purple onion has several green shoots each ten inches long. They are green and strong. The purple onion is very happy!

I look closer at the purple onion's body. It is less plump. The green shoots are drawing energy from the inner source deep inside the purple onion. Energy for growth.

The purple onion inspires me each day to draw upon the power deep inside of me to reach out into the world.

"Take a risk!" the purple onion whispers.

The color of the purple onion represents our own majesty. There is magic in the purple onion. And there are layers. Layers of growth, just like the layers that reflect the many years each of us have been on this planet.

"Go deeper! Discover more layers," the purple onion whispers.

More history. More memories. More layers of power to draw upon to send to your shoots toward the sun.

I knew the purple onion was never alone. Not really. It was packed with all the power to complete this journey. Don't worry about the purple onion. All is well.

--Douglas Beckstein

More Reasons to Exercise

It's never too late to begin to exercise. In one study, those with advanced colon cancer who exercised regularly more than doubled their disease-free survival time.

If you have been diagnosed with polyps -- cancerous or benign -- you now have an incentive to make some different lifestyle choices.

•Stop smoking and limit your use of alcohol.
Exposing yourself to these known toxins can cause cell damage that promotes cancer. A recent study shows that alcohol and tobacco users developed colorectal cancer an average of 7.8 years earlier (age 63.2 years in women and 62.1 years in men) than those who never drank alcohol or smoked.

•Eat a balanced, low-fat diet with fruits and vegetables.
Studies show that a Mediterranean diet low in red meat and saturated fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables is associated with overall health, including colon health. This also reduces inflammation, which is now associated with many diseases including cancer.

•Keep an appropriate weight for your age and body type.
Studies show that those who are overweight are at higher risk for colorectal cancer, and being very obese increases that risk by 50% for men and by 80% for women.

•Make daily exercise a habit.
People who exercise are at lower risk for colorectal cancer and appear to have a reduced risk of polyps.

Data from two recent studies show that after cancer diagnosis, vigorous exercise significantly increases disease-free survival and lowers recurrence risks.


source:Johns Hopkins Health Alerts

Take Control of Your Health

Studies show that at least half of all cancer deaths can be prevented by:

- Not using tobacco products
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Get plenty of physical activity
- Eat healthy foods
- Avoid mid-day sun and protect your skin with a hat, shirt and sunscreen
- Get cancer screening tests. Treatment is most successful when cancer is detected early.

www.cancer.org
American Cancer Society

Support Increased Cancer Research

Urge Your Members of Congress to Support Increased Funding for National Institues of Health (NIH) & National Cancer Institute (NCI) in FY 2008

Over the last four years, cancer research funding has fallen more than 10 percent in real dollars, forcing reductions in research grants and critical clinical trials. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society strongly supports an increase in federal funding for both the NIH and the NCI in FY 2008.

Email your U.S. Senator and Representative TODAY and urge them to support an increase of no less than $1 billion for cancer research in FY 2008!