It’s easy to lose muscle mass as we age. I tore the meniscus in my right knee and being averse to surgery and pharmaceuticals, I have been trying to heal without it. Even though I have been diligent about regular strength training, I have lost muscle mass. It’s a balancing act to deal with the pain using only natural pain relievers (turmeric, Boswellia and essential oils) and staying active enough to not lose muscle mass. Breathwork helps, as do some of the other tools in our natural healing toolbox, but sitting too long and waiting to heal is not one of them. 

In this month’s WISE WORDS with Mark Hyman “Living Healthy to 100 and Beyond,” by Sandra Yeyati, we look to Mark Hyman, a practicing family physician and internationally recognized leader, bestselling author, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of functional medicine. He is the founder and director of The Ultra Wellness Center, founder and senior advisor for the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and board president for clinical affairs for The Institute for Functional Medicine. He is also the founder and chairman of the Food Fix Campaign, dedicated to transforming our food and agriculture system through policy change. His latest book, Young Forever: The Secrets to Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life, champions the latest science on healthy aging.  

In our June CONSCIOUS EATING article where the focus is on Metabolic Health and titled “Sustainable Eating: Converting Food to Energy – Learning How Metabolism Works,” by Linda Sechrist. Metabolism is the process by which the foods and drinks we consume are converted into energy. We may not notice the cellular mechanisms that transform fat and glucose into the oomph in our step, but when they start to wane, we definitely know something is wrong. We may feel lethargic and weak, our brains may get foggy, or we may start putting on weight around the belly, with blood pressure, blood glucose and triglyceride levels on the rise. In most cases, modifying our diet is the most powerful way to regain vitality and get those biomarkers back on track. 

Our FIT BODY section looks at posture “Straighten Up and Feel Right – Tips for Good Posture and a Healthy Spine,” by Cristina Parker, PT, DPT. Standing up straight is not just something our parents remind us to do, it also happens to be good for our health. Posture describes the position of the body in space, but the realities of how we stand and move in day-to-day life is much more complex. Healthy postures encourage proper alignment of body structures, while unhealthy postures can lead to a host of issues, including muscle and joint pain, balance impairment and decreased mobility. Awareness of the body’s proper static and dynamic position is essential to maintaining a healthy spine. 

I have a family member who has cartilage damage in his knee. Even when he says it doesn’t hurt, he favors it by swaying when he walks. Observing him, I said, “You’re going to throw something out if you keep walking like that.” So, he kept swaying and now his back hurts too. Aging is a balancing act.

To conscious living,

Pamela Gallina, Publisher