Things to pay attention when we are over 50
(I borrowed this paragraph from a high school classmate in mailand CHN) 我来说几句吧，不妥之处请大家指正：1. 一定要有医保，有能力的可以适当配点商业保险 2. 同学们都巳年过半百了，各种慢性病会慢慢出来，应该学习一点医学常识。个人建议关注以下几个（微信）公众号： 丁香医生/ 菠萝因子/ 营养师顾中一
Below is my own cooking
Exercise 锻炼身体：running, jogging, and walking 跑步，慢跑，走路 are all good. Many other good cardiovascular exercise 心血管运动 include cycling, swimming, and tennis. Take your pick. 饭后百步走，活到九十九。Aerobic exercise 柔韧性锻炼也不错，如瑜伽，普拉提等。跑步前后注意拉伸。
至少要有大病保险；buy health insurance, as a minimum one should have the catastrophe health insurance: meaning the insurance that covers conditions such as cancer. This is needed for most people; I mean the people who doesn’t have 100 million dollars or more – who, btw, may be able to self-insure. Even in that case, one should find an administrator (basically a company that acts as middleman between you and the providers).
Colon cancer screen
聆听自己身体的声音，每年体检，看情况做一个肠镜；see your doctor and get the colonoscopy every 5 or 10 years. Below is example of people who got colon cancer and found out late.
I’m a 34-Year-Old With Colorectal Cancer. Here Are the Early Signs I Wish I Hadn’t Ignored (btw, an alarming trend is colon cancer patient get younger, as you can see from this google search)
Guys:
prostate and bladder (urologist);
Ladies: mammogram, breast cancer ♋️
好汉不提当年勇，包括开车
2000年夏天我和朋友一起轮换开车从圣路易斯到黄石，总共大概24小时，没住旅馆，累了就在加油站打个盹。08年开同样的山路感觉就有点怕，19年类似的山路更是不大敢开。
We are no longer in our 20s or 30s, this includes everything from drink, driving to eating. Pay attention to what we drink or eat. I found out I can no longer drive the mountain roads as confident as before – which is okay. I just need to be careful and mindful. If I cannot do it, I don’t do it.
饮食
我们这个年纪自己还是有可能调节的：饮食，少喝酒，少糖，多蔬菜🥬水果，包括有纤维的蔬菜水果🍉，我个人感觉酸奶也不错。还有睡眠，运动等。
Also, refer to What’s For Dinner? 晚饭吃什么 – A Series On What We Eat And Its Impact On Our Bodies – I
睡眠
我一般心里有事，就会影响睡眠。我的办法一般是白天多锻炼；实在睡不着就听收音机，尽量避免手机，电脑等。
Shingles vaccine 带状疱疹疫苗 (CDC, CDC PDF; Mayo Clinic).
(05-26-2024) I went ahead and decided to get the vaccine at local Walgreens. Today 05-27-2024 I felt a bit drowsy, tired and a touch of fever (I googled the shingle vaccine side effect too). Note this is not as bad as the Moderna Covid-9 vaccine I took about 3 years ago. (05-27-2024 evening) I jumped to conclusion too quickly, it ooks like my fever is not trivial (about 101F). More on side effects on CDC website.
Also, note the vaccine is 2 shots, and I will likely get the 2nd shot 2 months from today.
More information on shingles (Mayo Clinic); 带状疱疹 (妙佑医疗)
(Update 10-21-2024) I did 2nd shot yesterday afternoon. Today I felt not well again. Some fever etc. Hope I can recover tomorrow. The nurse at Walgreens did mention the side effect after 2nd shot is usually worse than the 1st shot.
Will:
Make a will. If kids are old enough, involve them in the process (learned this from Warren Buffett).
不折腾或少折腾 包括工作不要太拼(don’t work long hours without break, and do it for a long duration)。
PS: many of the things mentioned above are important when one is young too. But better late than never.