Alameda resident Julie Lyons lives an active lifestyle. She runs her own acupuncture business, main-tains an active workout schedule and stays up to date with friends and family. Lyons enjoys a lifestyle similar to any other Alamedan, but she also has multiple sclerosis (MS).
“It’s kind of like every day I feel like I run a marathon,” said Lyons. “Fatigue can be a major symptom for some people with MS.”
There aren’t many deadly animals in Alameda today. And yet, the human body thinks it’s in grave danger — releasing cortisol, increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure — several times a day. That’s because the way the body responds to a lion chasing it resembles its response to speaking in public, an uncomfortable dinner party or watching the evening news.
The annual Senior Health and Wellness Carnival took place July 31 at The Waters Edge Lodge on Bay Farm Island. The event drew seniors from Alameda and across the Bay Area. It featured games and activities designed to assess and improve seniors’ strength, wellness and capabilities for daily living.
Many people have been told sunlight is dangerous and to never go outside without being covered up completely or slathered with sunscreen. They have been lead to believe that the sun will immediately damage their skin and cancer is inevitable. Some think they can get all the vitamin D they need from fortified foods. But, is all this really true? In short, no.
People aren’t always encouraged to think about how they truly feel or what they genuinely believe. Society programs people to please others and to accept their thoughts as the appropriate way to handle things. Most of the clients I have worked with seek their own voices. I define one’s voice as one’s authentic way. People are often discouraged from having unique beliefs or ways of being in the world. People are taught the “appropriate” way to behave, the “logical” way to think and the “rational” way to feel.
