Dr. Oz's 24 Hours to a Longer Life

How to be healthy: reduce stress, help prevent disease, even look younger — in just one day!

 The secret to living longer might be found in East Patchogue, New York, where there's a little 1966 Volvo that has clocked more than 2.9 million miles, a Guinness world record.

More from Dr. Oz

TV’s top doc has a powerful plan that’ll add years to your life. — Photo by James Worrell

• Get back to sleep. Read
• When the sun makes you sick. Read
• Why work is good for brain health. Read

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How can a car run for almost 50 years and still look as sharp as the day it rolled off the lot? The answer is simple: proper maintenance. If the tires wear out, they're replaced. If the oil needs changing, it's changed. Not surprisingly, maintenance is also the secret to a long and healthy life for humans. Think of your cells as antiaging mechanics. If you treat them right, by eating well and exercising, they will tune you up on a daily basis. If you don't take care of them, they will go on strike, and you will age faster. You're in the driver's seat. You have the power to slow down the aging process, and I have the plan. All you need is 24 hours!

6:00 a.m.

Do Yoga, Reduce Stress

I hope you had a good night’s sleep, because we’re starting early. I begin each day with a seven-minute yoga-inspired exercise routine (see below video). By the time you’re 50, your heart has beaten about 2 billion times — a lot of wear and tear. Yoga can repair some of the damage by helping lower your heart rate. It also relaxes your blood vessels and reduces stress, which is especially important as you begin the day. (One recent study found there are 36 percent more heart attacks on Mondays — just when people are heading back to work — than there are on Sundays.) So start your day with yoga or a light exercise routine.

7:00 a.m.

Eat Breakfast, Look Younger

Now that you’re warmed up, let’s tackle a common complaint about getting older: wrinkles. Two substances — collagen and elastin — make up the supportive scaffolding beneath your skin, like a hammock. When you’re young, the scaffolding is intact, and your skin appears smooth. As you get older, though, the scaffolding starts to break down, like a hammock whose strings have been cut. Even worse, sugar in your bloodstream can latch onto these strings and tie them in a knot — blocking your cells from repairing them. The earlier you cut added sugar out of your diet, the better. Instead of a sugar-laden breakfast, start your day with oatmeal and eggs. Oatmeal’s low glycemic index raises your blood sugar levels more slowly, and the protein in eggs boosts your metabolism — a perfect combination that might ward off wrinkles and keep your weight in check.

Next: Snack on berries, help stave off cancer. »        Read More.

Clearing up the facts about cataracts

(BPT) - Cataract is one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. Approximately 24.5 million Americans have the lens-clouding eye condition, and the incidence is set to grow by 50 percent by 2050, according to the National Eye Institute. If not treated through a change in eyeglass prescription or surgery, cataracts, which affect more than half of all Americans by age 80, can increase risk of permanent blindness.

To help clear up the facts about this lens-clouding eye condition ophthalmologists, medical doctors specializing in the diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases and conditions, who are members of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, have responded to hundreds of queries about cataracts submitted by the public through the Ask an Eye M.D. portal on GetEyeSmart.org. These five questions and answers about cataracts are a small sampling of what is available for public reference on the website:

Can you have 20/20 vision and still be diagnosed with cataract?
 "Yes, you can," says Dr. Jeffrey Whitman. "Having a cataract just means that the lens of your eye has become cloudy and hardened - a process that begins at around 50 years of age and does not preclude 20/20 vision. It is only when it becomes visually significant - that is, when it degrades your vision, changes color perception, or causes glare at nighttime - that it requires surgical care."

How can I keep cataracts from getting worse?
 "Most individuals over ages 50 to 60 technically have age-related changes in their lenses that might be termed 'very early cataracts," says Dr. Charles P. Wilkinson. In general, prevention is very difficult; but the most helpful practices include:

* Wear sunglasses to help protect your eyes from the sun's ultraviolet light

* Avoid using steroid eye drops unless absolutely necessary

* Avoid the rare medications that may be associated with cataract progression, including psoralens, a drug used along with light therapy to treat skin disorders; chlorpromazine, an antipsychotic; and some glaucoma medications.
       
 Do cataracts cause eye pain?
 "Cataracts do not cause pain except if they have been allowed to remain untreated for too long," says Dr. Wayne Bizer. "In this case they cause a lot of pain and light sensitivity. Consult your ophthalmologist immediately if you are having eye pain."  
   
 Why do I need to stop wearing my contact lenses before cataract surgery?
 "Before cataract surgery, important measurements of the surface of your eye must be taken," says Dr. W. Barry Lee. "Contact lenses alter the shape of the eye's surface, which can make the measurements inaccurate and lead to poor vision after the surgery. The length of time you must not wear contact lenses prior to your cataract surgery varies depending on the type of contact lenses you wear, so listen to your ophthalmologist's instructions carefully."  
   
 How long is recovery time after cataract surgery?
 "Typically, this should only take several days," says Dr. Gary Hirshfield. "Of course, some issues may occur that require a longer recovery period, such as other eye conditions or rare surgery complications. Additionally, if both eyes need to be done and you are significantly near- or far-sighted, then there may be a period of time in between the surgery for each eye where the differences between the eyes may make your tasks difficult. Also, depending upon the surgical approach you may need a change in your eyeglass prescription which is usually done at about four weeks. However that can be accelerated to just several days provided you understand that the prescription may need to be revised in several weeks or months."

See all 250 cataract-related questions and answers or submit your own question at www.geteyesmart.org/ask.

Cataracts can be diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. Seniors who have not had an eye exam in the last three years and for whom cost is a concern may qualify for EyeCare America, a public service program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, which provides eye exams and care at no out-of-pocket cost for eligible seniors age 65 and older through its network of more than 6,000 volunteer ophthalmologists. Visit www.eyecareamerica.org to see if you or your loved ones are eligible.

10 Ways to Guarantee You'll Get Mosquito Bites

Some people are real mosquito magnets. Why do some people seem to attract bloodthirsty mosquitoes from all over the neighborhood, while others can sit outside all evening without suffering a bite? These lucky people give off just the right combination of sights and smells. Mosquitoes use their senses to choose a favorite target in the crowd. Here are 10 ways to guarantee yourself lots of mosquito bites.

1. Keep breathing.
Mosquitoes detect carbon dioxide in the air, so the more you breathe, the more likely you are to become a blood meal. Carbon dioxide clues the mosquitoes in to the presence of a living, breathing, blood-pumping animal nearby. Once they sense it, mosquitoes usually fly in a zigzag pattern through the CO2 plume until they locate the source.

2. Skip the shower.
That's right, bring on the B.O. The more you stink, the easier it is for a blood-seeking mosquito to find you. Drop the deodorant, skip the soap, and get ready to start slapping skeeters.

3. Run around.
Mosquitoes first locate potential victims using their sight, and anything moving will be deemed worthy of a second look. Go outside and flag them down. Mow the lawn. Take a jog around the block. Jump up and down and shout "pick me, pick me!" The mosquitoes will pick you, for sure.

4. Sweat a lot.
Perspiration is the perfect combination of mosquito attractants – moisture and odors. Head outdoors on a hot, sticky summer evening, and work up a sweat. The mosquitoes will thank you. Read More.

Why Do Our Best Ideas Come to Us in the Shower?

You’re in the shower, mindlessly scrubbing your toes when—bam!—a prophetic thought pops into your head. Maybe you finally solve that glitch bugging you at work. Or maybe you learn something terribly more important. The meaning of life, perhaps. Or what the 23 flavors in Dr. Pepper are.

Those aha! moments aren’t locked inside a bottle of Irish-scented shampoo. Soaking yourself in suds, though, does have a lot to do with it. The shower creates the perfect conditions for a creative flash, coaxing out your inner genius. Oh, and it makes you clean, too. 

MIND YOUR MINDLESS TASKS

Research shows you’re more likely to have a creative epiphany when you’re doing something monotonous, like fishing, exercising, or showering. Since these routines don’t require much thought, you flip to autopilot. This frees up your unconscious to work on something else. Your mind goes wandering, leaving your brain to quietly play a no-holds-barred game of free association.

This kind of daydreaming relaxes the prefrontal cortex—the brain’s command center for decisions, goals, and behavior. It also switches on the rest of your brain’s “default mode network” (DMN) clearing the pathways that connect different regions of your noggin. With your cortex loosened up and your DMN switched on, you can make new, creative connections that your conscious mind would have dismissed.

That’s why the ideas you have in the shower are so different from the ideas you have at work—you’re a pinch more close-minded at the office. Thinking hard about a problem deactivates your default network. It boosts your prefrontal cortex’s control. This isn’t a bad thing—it tightens your focus and gives you the power to stop gawking at cat pictures and hit that deadline. But it can also dig you into a creative rut. Because when you’re deeply focused on a task, your brain is more likely to censor unconventional—and creative—solutions.

Strange as it sounds, your brain is not most active when you’re focused on a task. Rather, research shows it’s more active when you let go of the leash and allow it to wander. Shelley Carson at Harvard found that highly creative people share one amazing trait—they’re easily distracted. And that’s the beauty of a warm shower. It distracts you. It makes you defocus. It lets your brain roam. It activates your DMN and encourages wacky ideas to bounce around. So when the lather rinses off, your light bulb switches on. 

AND RELAX!

But what makes the shower different from a boring board meeting? Doesn’t your mind wander there, too?

Well, yeah. You probably have the doodles to prove it. But a shower is relaxing. It’s a small, safe, enclosed space. You feel comfortable there. (Comfortable enough to be in the buff!) On top of that, you’re probably alone. It may be the only alone time you get all day. It’s your chance to get away from any stresses outside.

When you’re that relaxed, your brain may release everyone’s favorite happy-go-lucky neurotransmitter, dopamine. A flush of dopamine can boost your creative juices. More alpha waves will also ripple through your brain—the same waves that appear when you’re meditating or happily spacing out. Alphas accompany your brain’s daydreamy default setting and may encourage the creative fireworks. 

Wait! There’s more! The time you shower also plays into the equation. Most of us wash up either in the morning or at night—when we’re most tired. According to the journal Thinking and Reasoning, that’s our creative peak. The groggy morning fog weakens your brain’s censors, keeping you from blocking the irrelevant, distracting thoughts that make great ideas possible. It’s likely that your shower gushes during your creative sweet spot.

There you have it. You’re distracted, relaxed, and tired. Your prefrontal cortex slackens its power as your default network switches on, your dopamine supplies surge, and your alpha waves roll. The shower creates the perfect storm for the perfect idea. 

How To Choose Your Grandparent Name

Sometimes you pick your name. Sometimes it picks you.

It takes nine months to have a baby, and that may be a good thing because many couples need at least that long to ponder, discuss, debate, argue, agonize, and finally, agree on their child's name.

What moms- and dads-to-be may not realize is that similar, equally weighty debates are going on in the homes of their parents, about what the future grandparents want their grandchildren to call them. "This generation of grandparents takes the whole naming process more seriously than ever," notes Lin Wellford, coauthor of the forthcoming The New Grandparents Name Book: A Lighthearted Guide to Picking the Perfect Grandparent Name (ArtStone). After all, she asks, "How many times in your life do you get to name yourself?"

New grandparents today are also younger than ever — according to the U.S. Census, first-time grandparents are, on average, 47 — and many don't want names that make them feel old. "I wanted a name that sounded as young as I feel," says Wellford, 57, of Ozark, Ark. She's known as Mimi to her two grandchildren.

Grandma or Gaba?

Certainly, some choose an old standby like Grandma or Grandpa, Papa or Nana. Others take a name from their cultural heritage. And others, when their children ask, agree to let kids call them whatever their own parents were called. On the other hand, "You can choose a name and lobby for it, but there's no guarantee that you’re going to end up with it," Wellford says. "I've heard more stories where the grandchild comes up with a name that may be a mangled, funny version of what he or she hears — nothing that the grandparent would have ever thought of in a million years — but they fall in love with it and that's that."

That's how Deana Barr, 65, of North Fort Myers, Fla., came to be Gabadoo to her four grandsons. "When my grandson, Aaron, was younger he had trouble saying Grandma and he pronounced it Gaba," she says. "One day we were cuddling and I asked him, 'Who loves you?' and he answered, 'Gaba do!' So I became Gabadoo or just Gaba. I love it because it's different and it sets me apart."

Similarly, when Anita Bryce's first grandchild, Megan, was little, she sometimes got confused between her two Grannies. The girl's mother tried to simplify things. One Christmas, as Megan opened her gifts, she was told, "This gift is from your grandma with the curly hair," says Bryce, 58, now a grandmother of seven in Vernon, Fla. "It was probably because I had Dolly Parton hair at that time." Sure enough, she says, "a couple of hours later I walked into the house and was greeted with a big hug and salutation of Curly Grandma! Read More.

Required minimum distributions

by James B. Gust, Senior Editor, Merrill Anderson Co. Inc.

The best way to prepare for retirement is to save, early and often.  Generally, one should set aside 10% to 15% of one’s income each year.  If the habit takes hold early in one’s career, a very meaningful nest egg should be the result.

            Saving is easier when there is a tax deduction for it, which helps explain the popularity of the traditional IRA.  However, the tax law includes a stipulation that those who have developed the savings habit will find disconcerting. Once one reaches age 70 ½, a program of required minimum IRA distributions must commence.  Each year the IRA must disburse an amount geared to the life expectancy of its owner. The reason for the requirement is to make certain that the money saved for retirement gets used for retirement—or, at least, becomes subject to income taxes during retirement.

How large are the payouts?

Required minimum distributions from an IRA won’t exhaust the account before the owner lives beyond age 100, even if the account has poor investment return. Accounts that enjoy even modest returns will keep getting larger in the early years of minimum distributions.  This table shows the projected size of a required minimum distribution from a $1 million IRA at various ages, for various rates of return. It also shows total distributions and the balance remaining at age 100, if only required minimum distributions are taken each year.  If a 6% annual rate of return can be achieved, the account balance won’t dip below $1 million until age 92.

Age	2% return	4% return	6% return	8% return
70	$36,496	$36,496	$36,496	$36,496
80	$42,255	$51,750	$63,124	$76,700
90	$42,859	$64,606	$96,587	$143,259
100	$28,394	$53,269	$98,650	$180,439
Total payments through  age 100	$1,233,056	$1,624,697	$2,387,026	$3,434,869
Remaining balance at age 100	$154,067	$295,750	$560,139	$1,047,272

Source: M.A. Co.

Rates of return are for illustration only and do not represent any particular investment.

© 2014 M.A. Co. All rights reserved.