Longevity basicsLumbar disc herniation: two in three shrink on their own, and here is how to help your body alongA herniated disc rarely needs surgery. Here is how to help recovery yourself: stay active, walk, build up exercises step by step, manage pain wisely, and know the signs where…Staying fit for longer doesn't start with a pill or a trendy test. It's in what you do this week with strength, sleep, food and movement — and what you'll still notice ten years from now.
I dig into what actually counts, say so when the evidence gets thin, and happily let the rest wait.
Almost one in five people over 65 in Belgium recently took sleeping pills or sedatives. They give little extra sleep, and the new guideline focuses on an approach without pills.
A review of 29 studies links dancing after 65 to fewer falls, better balance and stronger legs. Here is how dance classes fit into Belgian activity advice.
How does the free stool test after 50 work, what does an abnormal result mean and why does the colonoscopy matter? The figures from Flemish screening.
Why an enhanced flu vaccine after 65 is recommended in Belgium, what a large study shows, what it costs and how to combine it with the covid jab.
Brushing well, cleaning between your teeth, recognising bleeding gums and understanding the Belgian dental care pathway: what Gezonde Mond, RIZIV-INAMI and the WHO advise.
Social contact goes hand in hand with better health. What the WHO and a large meta-analysis say about loneliness, and why small regular habits do more than big plans.
Your resting heart rate is easy to measure and says something about your fitness and recovery. How to measure reliably, what counts as normal and when a rising value deserves attention.
Coffee raises your blood pressure a little, but less than often thought. What studies on caffeine and blood pressure show, how to measure reliably at home and when to skip the coffee.
A fracture later in life often starts with a fall. How weight-bearing exercise supports your bone density, how much calcium EFSA recommends and which exercises best prevent falls.
The goal of 10,000 steps a day started as marketing for a Japanese pedometer. What large studies now say about fewer steps, walking pace and breaking up sitting time.
High blood pressure usually goes unnoticed. Here is how to choose an upper-arm monitor, measure for a week following the European guideline and know what counts as high at home.
Burning wood brings warmth and atmosphere, but also fine dust for you and your neighbours. Which appliance emits the least, how to light dry wood from the top and when it is better not to light the fire.
