18 minute read
HEALTH
THE A TO ZINC OF VITAMIN DEFICIENCY
VITAMINS and minerals are vital when it comes to ensuring our bodies are in their best shape and working correctly. So, what happens when you have a deficiency, and what can you do about it?
In each and every cell of your body, there are thousands of chemical reactions taking place to process proteins, fats and carbohydrates. An essential part of these chemical reactions is vitamins and minerals. Without these elements, a lot of everyday functions simply wouldn’t happen.
The majority of vitamins and minerals are absorbed through diet; get this right and you’ll get all the vitamins you need. However, more than 80 per cent of Australians don’t eat the recommended serves of fruit and vegetables a day, limiting their intake of vitamin-rich foods and their absorption of much-needed vitamins and minerals.
Common Deficiencies
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies occur for a number of reasons. These can include poor nutritional intake, alcohol abuse, smoking and chronic illnesses. It’s important to remember that vitamin and mineral deficiencies are highly personalised conditions however, there are some players that pop up time and time again.
As we age, bone strength becomes even more important. Yet many older Australians are deficient in vitamin D and calcium, both of which are essential for bone health.
Balance Your Diet
As we get older, our lifestyles and health change. This can influence not only the kinds of food people choose to eat but also the kinds of food people can eat. This is why some people choose supplements. Many medical professionals believe that, while supplements
can have their place in a treatment plan, getting a patient’s diet and exercise right is key.
Eating a nutritionally complete diet should, in most cases, ensure the body has what it needs. When you eat, you ingest the vitamins and minerals present as well as all of the other nutrients such as energy, protein and fat, dietary fibre and water. Generally, our body responds well to the way the nutrients are mixed in the food matrix which can often maximise absorption.”
Supplement Your Food
The first, and most important, thing to note when it comes to supplements is that you should always consult a medical professional. What’s not widely known is that you can actually take too much of a vitamin, causing a toxic effect in your body.
Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K can cause toxicity in the body if too much is ingested, but most of the time, supplements don’t actually do anything.
Vitamin D is the best example of a supplement that can benefit many people. However, after a thorough check-up, your doctor may recommend others. Always seek professional advice.
The ABC’s of Vitamins & Minerals
• Vitamin A: for eyesight, immune system and growth • Vitamin B12: for generating new
red blood cells and new nerve cells, and processing fats and carbohydrates • Vitamin C: for protection against infections • Vitamin D: for bone health and the health of many organs including the intestine, liver and kidney • Vitamin E: for keeping the membranes around cells healthy • Vitamin K: for improved blood clotting • Calcium: for strong bones and good muscle and nerve function • Iron: for supporting red blood cell function.
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2021
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WANT TO ENJOY A HEALTHY, FUN-FILLED RETIREMENT? GET MORE ACTIVE, NOT LESS SAYS ACTIVE+
ACTIVE+, one of New Zealand’s largest multi-disciplinary rehabilitation suppliers, is busting the myth that retirement is all about putting your feet up and taking it easy. Instead, the health and wellness brand is calling for older Kiwis to get more active – not less – if they want to enjoy the benefits of a long, fun-filled retirement.
By 2051, there will be 1.18 million people aged 65 and over in New Zealand, a leap of 165% since 1999. At that stage, older people are expected to make up 26% of the New Zealand population. Some sources[1] estimate that healthcare costs will have increased by almost 100% by 2030.
“Our population is ageing fast, with a proliferation of health problems. It has long been assumed such problems were directly caused by ageing, and could, therefore, be neither prevented nor treated,” says Kath Broad, an Active+ Physiotherapist, and Clinic Director at Active+ Dominion Road.
“However, numerous studies have shown that ageing by itself is not a cause of major health problems until people are in their mid-90s. In fact, the problems we’ve ascribed to ageing are due to disease – much of it preventable – such as loss of fitness and negative attitudes to growing older.”
Active+ has recognised this, and developed several services, which can be either ACC or privately funded, to enable older Kiwis to maintain their health and fitness. These include Pilates and yoga classes, physiotherapy, dietitian consultations, counselling and personal training.
“Joining a group exercise class at a physio clinic is well worth considering,” says Kath. “These are different to general communitybased ones because they are led by physiotherapists. Physios are able to recognise and diagnose many movement difficulties and are the best qualified for adapting exercises to suit all abilities. They’re a great choice if you’re getting older and unsure about how to boost your activity and fitness levels.”
“A lot of people have never been to a gym, and don’t want to go or are afraid that they may hurt themselves. This is where exercise classes can be useful. The environment is more targeted to people who may not be as physically capable, or simply need some additional support.”
As well as the obvious fitness benefits, Kath points out that physio led exercises can reduce the risk of falls, which can result in older adults incurring serious injuries – even leading to hospitalisation.
“Numerous studies have shown that working on strength and balance can reduce the risk of falls,” she says. “Physios are able to detect early difficulties with movement, strength and balance, and prescribe exercises to assist. This could be easy home exercises, such as calf raises and one-leg stands – or muscle strengthening routines, like lifting light weights and doing yoga.”
The loss of function and resilience associated with ageing can often be influenced by activity: physical, mental and social. The team at Active+ suggest working through the following checklist to boost activity levels.
1) Find an exercise that you
enjoy. Whether it’s swimming, walking, Pilates, or a kick-about with the grandkids in the park, look for activities that you love and look forward to doing on a regular basis. 2) Set realistic goals. Build up gradually so you don’t push yourself too hard and get discouraged. You could start by doing some light stretching while you watch TV or get off the bus one stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. 3) Do it regularly. Aim to do something every day and ideally 2.5 hours of moderate activity over a week.
4) Get support by exercising
with friends. Join an exercise class or talk a friend into going for a walk or a bike ride with you. Your motivation and your body will thank you.
5) Improve your flexibility.
Stretching, Pilates, yoga and bowls can all help you stay supple. That will help you carry on doing things like washing your hair, getting dressed, and even tying your shoelaces. 6) Get strong. Muscle strengthening exercises help to make everyday activities much easier, such as opening jars, getting up from chairs or lifting objects. Try to do musclestrengthening activities twice a week, such as using free weights, heavy gardening or activities that involve stepping and jumping. 7) Try a balancing act. Make sure to add balance activities to the daily routine. Good balance requires maintaining a center of gravity over the base of support. Tai chi, yoga, walking on challenging surfaces and water exercises
all enhance overall balance. 8) Prevent injury by warming up.
Before you start, it’s important to warm up. Wear loose, comfortable clothing, drink plenty of water and cool down afterwards. 9) Use goals and rewards. Use goals and rewards to keep yourself motivated. Perhaps you want to work your way up to walking a certain distance or completing a certain number of reps. Adjust your goals as you pass milestones. A reward might include something as simple as a bubble bath or a relaxing evening watching your favourite TV show. 10) Stick with it. It takes about a month to create a habit – and don’t be too hard on yourself if you skip a few sessions. Just start over and build up the habit again!
There is a perception that that ill-health and sedentary behaviour are a natural part of growing older, but that doesn’t have to be the case,” says Kath. “It’s important to support older Kiwis to maintain an active lifestyle, so they can live healthy and independent lives, well into their retirements.
“At Active+, we are continually examining how we can better support seniors with their health and fitness and look forward to introducing more services in the future.”
It is important to seek advice before starting a new health and fitness regime. Always talk to your doctor about the types and amounts of physical activity that are right for you.
For more information on Active+,
visit activeplus.co.nz
[1] www.union.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ Working-Paper-on-Health-No-1.pdf
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Southern Explorer
Featuring overnight Doubtful Sound cruise Departs 19 Jan 2022 8 days | $4099pp share twin
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LOVING RETIREMENT VILLAGE LIFE
Earlier this year we invited Brian Colegate, a resident at Kapiti Coast retirement village in Paraparaumu to respond to comments, often ill-informed, in the nation’s media. This is Brian’s article in his own words, about why he loves retirement village life.
THERE has been a lot of commentary and talk about retirement villages lately, but not much from those people like me living in villages.
Critics often paint a dire picture of retirement village living, imply older New Zealanders like me are hoodwinked into contracts and denied basic liberties.
That certainly doesn’t tally with my experiences as a resident or those of the many others I interviewed for my book ‘Retirement Villages’ - ‘Residents’ Verdict’, published in July 2020.
I lost my wife five years ago and I was living alone in a three-bedroom house and decided to offer it to my daughter and her family. She graciously declined as she didn’t want to move, she also said, “But you never know what is around the corner Dad.” That got me thinking about how me living alone in a big house would become a worry for my family.
I involved them in the process of looking for the right village for me, and their only concern was ensuring that my general lifestyle would not be jeopardised.
I didn’t have difficulties understanding my Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) when I moved into a retirement village three years ago, and I still don’t.
Yes, the main complaint about retirement villages is the financial formula but that’s something you consider before you make the decision to move in. I knew about the lack of capital gains and deferred management fees, and so did my family.
But I came in with eyes wide open. I wasn’t simply buying into a unit, I was buying into something much bigger, freedom from carrying out exterior maintenance, safety and security, companionship and wellbeing. I knew exactly what charges there would be and when I get my monthly invoice, there are no surprises.
The process is transparent. You are obliged to engage a solicitor to support you in the process and ensure you fully understand what you are signing up to. Ideally, family members will be involved in that process too.
I do agree the complaints process for retirement villages needs to be tightened up – but that’s happening.
My book came about because I saw there was lots of information available for people thinking of moving into a retirement village, in brochures or the internet. However, I thought it would be useful to have all the facts together in a hard copy that potential residents and their family could read together, and which also reflected residents’ experiences.
I interviewed people living in retirement villages run by a range of different operators in the Wellington
region and beyond. I sent out more than 180 questionnaires and received 90 responses.
Of these, 83 people said they liked living in retirement villages, four said it was ‘great’ and three that it was ‘okay’. No maintenance worries, companionship, security and health care featured strongly as benefits – many people commented “Don’t leave it too late”.
Security speaks for itself and a lot of people have commented to me, in the wake of the pandemic, that they are so glad they moved to a supportive village community ahead of that.
Many people, who are still very active like me, start out in villages living in a villa. Later, they might move to an apartment or a serviced apartment where they can have their cleaning done and meals delivered.
Ultimately, they may need to move into a care facility with hospital-level service. All those options are available in my village, so you can make choices that meet your changing needs while remaining in the same community.
At the present time, I am coordinating a project involving 117 villagers who live alone, addressing activities, which they are or may be interested in.
The range of activities is wide, covering board games, crafts, entertainment, sporting activities, health and wellbeing. The outdoor field of play includes croquet, petanque and outdoor bowls.
On the social scene, there is a weekly ‘happy hour’ in the village leisure centre from 4.30 to 6.00 pm, followed by a fortnightly residents’ dinner in the village restaurant. We had over a hundred villagers attend the last dinner.
For many people, like me, moving to a retirement village brings peace of mind for them and for their children – and you can’t put a price on that.
*Former public servant Brian Colegate lives in a retirement village in Paraparaumu. A former Kapiti Coast District Councillor, he has written two books including Retirement Villages - Residents’ Verdict, published in July 2020. If you’d like a copy, please email Brian on rbcolegate@gmail.com
