Sunday, September 28, 2008

Japan centenarians at record high

The number of people in Japan who have reached or passed the 100-year-old mark has reached record levels — and shows no signs of slowing down.


Hmm, you don't all that green tea they drink has anything to do with it, do you?



Matsu Yamazaki, 103, still works in her family's grocery shop in Tokyo.


—Mellow Monk


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Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Benefits of tea: freshly brewed beats bottled

Salada Tea has announced a campaign that Mellow Monk can definitely get behind: to promote the health and environmental benefits of freshly brewed tea over bottled tea:

Freshly brewed green tea has up to 95 percent higher levels of the antioxidant EGCG than bottled tea (2006 U.S. Department of Agriculture database of flavonoid content in foods). Antioxidants in green tea are sensitive to heat, oxygen, sweeteners and other additives and can easily be destroyed during processing, transportation and storage of bottled tea. Studies have shown that antioxidants help with weight loss, cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases and stress.

And speaking of EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), the many benefits of this antioxidant — which is found only in green tea — may include the ability to prevent Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.





—Mellow Monk


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Monday, August 11, 2008

It's good to think about the future — to a reasonable degree

Some people are intensely focused on the future, while others focus on the here-and-now. In fact, time orientation is an important determinant of health and success — and a crucial factor in relationships:

"Mismatches" between people who view time differently are common in marriages, Zimbardo says. When future-oriented spouses clash with mates who live mostly for fun in the present, "you hear 'He's irresponsible' and 'She's a slave-driver,' " he says. Trouble can erupt over how to spend money, free time or vacations and how to raise kids.

But anything taken to the extreme is often unhealthy, and more and more hyper-driven types — such as superparents — are learning to focus more on enjoying togetherness now:

These parents, most of whom are in their 30s and early 40s, want quality family time now. "They're not as driven as their parents were career-wise, and there's more emphasis on family togetherness. They want their kids to have a good future, but there's less insanity about it," Chung says.

On the other hand, if you're a worrier — or even just a "ruminator" — you can console yourself knowing that overthinking may protect against dementia.



It's hard to imagine being overly stressed at a place like this. (Click to see a larger version.)


—Mellow Monk


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Monday, July 21, 2008

Green tea is on "Brain Food" menu

Some foods are so beneficial to your brain that they're almost like pharmaceuticals. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids are one category of such foods. Foods rich in antioxidants — especially polyphenols — are another:

One group [of antioxidants] that has been evaluated, the polyphenols, has been shown in rodents to reduce oxidative damage and to boost the ability to learn and retain memories. In particular, these chemicals affect changes in response to different types of stimulation in the hippocampus (a part of the brain that is crucial to the formation of long-term memories, and which is the region most affected by Alzheimer’s disease).

And guess which green beverage is rich in polyphenols? That's right — green tea.



She's improving her mind in two ways: reading and drinking green tea.



Green tea appears prominently under "Beverages".


—Mellow Monk


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Tuesday, July 15, 2008

How our bodies age (and how to prevent it)

In graphical format, how the body ages:

Aging is the natural wear and tear of the body's component parts. It's inevitable, and endlessly intriguing. While many age-related changes cannot be prevented, a lifestyle that includes exercise and a well-balanced diet will slow or minimize many problems related to aging.

Read about green tea and aging here.



Click on the image to see the huge full-sized version.


—Mellow Monk


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Friday, June 27, 2008

Old Japanese woman sweeps the floor with big tough soldiers

To seniors fed up with the way some young people nowadays disrespect their elders, 77-year-old martial arts expert Keiko Wakabayshi has a dream job—beating up young soldiers.



"Okay, OKAY! I take back that Jitterbug joke!"


—Mellow Monk

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Monday, June 23, 2008

Green tea prevents memory loss from sleep apnea

To the long list of ailments that science is finding to be preventable or treatable with green tea, add memory loss due to sleep apnea.



The first step in preventing memory loss with green tea, Grasshopper, is remembering to drink it.


—Mellow Monk


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Friday, June 20, 2008

Improve your posture

The Alexander Technique is a system of rules and guidelines for improving your posture.


A posture-improving exercise I've had excellent results with is wall angels—like snow angels, but performed while standing against a wall. Just remember, never do any exercise that hurts, and if you have any doubt at all about whether an exercise is right for you, talk to your doctor first!


P.S. There's been a lot of talk lately about who invented the modern "dolphin kick" that's revolutionizing competitive swimming, but we all know that it was really the Man from Atlantis [YouTube link].



The bad, the good ... and the bad.


—Mellow Monk


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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Harnessing "silver power" in Japan

Just like almost everywhere else, older folks in Japan are staying in the workforce longer. They also have high technology to help them live independently. Check out the high-tech electric kettle below.



Whenever she uses it, Mrs. Oheo's James Bondian kettle automatically sends a text message to her daughter's cell phone, letting her know that Mom's alright.


—Mellow Monk


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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Dr. Oz's anti-aging checklist

Dr. Mehmet Oz—known as "Dr. Oz" and author of books such as You on A Diet—has put up his "Ultimate Anti-Aging Checklist" at Oprah.com.


Number 4 on the list is—drumroll, please—green tea.



Dr. Oz says you should drink about four cups of green or white tea a day.


—Mellow Monk


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Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Robots for seniors in Japan

At a home care and rehabilitation convention held in Tokyo recently, the biggest crowds were drawn by the high-tech robots that companies are developing to help care for seniors.



Demonstrating a robot exoskeleton at a convention for
rehabilitation products in Japan. (And if you have to
ask how much, you can't afford it.)



And now for something completely different: The country indie-bluegrass duo Uncle Monk is in no way related to Mellow Monk—but their music is pretty cool.


—Mellow Monk


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Friday, June 15, 2007

A Japanese becomes the oldest man to ever scale Everest

Katsusuke Yanagisawa, a 71-year-old retired schoolteacher from Japan, has set the new world's record for oldest man to climb Mt. Everest.



And he's got the pictures to prove it.


—Mellow Monk


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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

The immortal fitness sensei

The amazing Jack LaLanne is still going strong at 92. The linked-to page has a photo gallery of Mr. LaLanne through the years. You can also read an interview with the man himself.


Still, it's slightly embarrassing to think that a 92-year-old man is in better shape than I am.



You tell 'em, Jack.


—Mellow Monk


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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Exercise reverses muscle ageing

A Canadian study on muscles, exercise, and aging shows that

  • In people over 65, regular resistance training appears to reverse signs of aging in muscles.

  • "[Y]ou don't have to spend your life pumping iron in a gym to reap benefits."

  • It's never too late to start exercising.




Age is no longer an excuse not to start.


—Mellow Monk


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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Green tea even fights wrinkles

Dr. Miriam Cummings, a dermatologist practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona, says that green tea "is a wonderful thing for the skin."


Adds the good doctor: "[Green tea] stops DNA from being damaged. It stops the sun from burning the skin; so in a perfect world it's the perfect thing to use on your skin."


—Mellow Monk


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Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Japan's seniors go Robocop

Researchers at Tsukuba University have developed a robotic suit that gives the wearer extra strength by assisting limb movement. As early as next year, the suit may be available for lease (primarily to seniors) for as little as $500 a month.



Now grandma will be able to load those 50-pound bags of dog food into the trunk by herself.


—Mellow Monk


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Saturday, January 20, 2007

Bilingualism and dementia

Researchers in Canada found that speaking two languages delays the onset of dementia.


This fits in with the larger theory that when it comes to your brain and avoiding senility, "use it or lose it" definitely holds true.


—Mellow Monk


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Thursday, January 04, 2007

Brain exercises stave off mental decline

After retirement, the chance of developing Alzheimer's increases with each passing decade.


That's the bad news.


The good news, however, is that just as physical exercise keeps the body in shape, "boosting mental skills with simple exercises can help slow the rate of mental decline as people age."


A sampling of "brain exercises" accompanying the above-linked article can be found here.


—Mellow Monk


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Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Braining-training video game for older folks

In an effort to "broaden its customer base amid falling profits," video game maker Nintendo is targeting Japan's growing gray market with "Brain Training for Adults," a number and puzzles game that Nintendo says stimulates the brain.


You can read a review of the game here. Note that at the end of a round of questions, the game tells you your mental age (literally "brain age").


Nintendo hasn't announced any plans to localize the game for the American market, but if you want to encourage them to do so, the company can be contacted online here.





—Mellow Monk


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Thursday, January 26, 2006

Dr. Roizen on "biological age"

Newsweek interviewed anti-aging guru Dr. Michael Roizen on biological versus chronological age, and about being a smart patient.


Dr. Roizen has built an entire industry of self-help books and whatnot centered on biological age, or RealAge, as the concept and the company built around it is known. RealAge CEO Charles Silver says one way he lowered his RealAge was by drinking green tea.


—Mellow Monk


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