For a limited time, save up to $3600 on selected
one-bedroom retirement living apartments.
Call today! This offer won't last long!*
We're creating
communities
where people
choose to be.
AI__FRANKLIN
Retirement Living • Assisted Living • Alzheimer's Care
(2 4 8 ) 3 5 3-2 8 10
28301 Franklin Road • Southfield, MI 48034
www.thefountain.s.com
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NPDJ101802
AL#630084627
One of the best tennis clubs in the metro
area-right here in Farmington Hills!
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14111S I I 1 011115 1 11111111
13 beautifully manicured Outdoor Har-Tru
(Clay) tennis courts
Four Indoor Hard Courts
Fitness Facility
Two Squash Courts
Grille
Head Professional, Brett Beattie (USPTA)
No Court Fees - EVER!
.
Special Membership Introductory Offer:
$100 per month
unlimited tennis for one year
Call us at (248) 661-2300 for details, visit us on the web
at detroittennis, corn, or come in for a visit at
31031 Drake Road (just south of 14 Mile) in Farmington Hills.
660230
TIN
10/25
2002
104
designated a fellow of the American
College of Physicians.
He explains that with every 3,500
calories consumed, men who tend to
be sedentary will gain one additional
pound, "and over the course of a
year it's easy to put on 10 to 20
),
more pounds.
He encourages his patients to
incorporate 30 to 45 minutes of car-
diovascular exercise into their daily
routine five to six times a week, as
well as some weight training. Even
those with heart disease, or who've
Even those with arthritis
can find a fitness
routine that is easy
on the joints.
THE FOUNTAINS
* Certain conditions and restrictions apply.
sugar readings are elevated, compli-
cations may develop.
Diabetes is still the leading cause
of kidney failure, blindness and
amputations, Dr. Grunberger says.
Some 80 percent of diabetic deaths
are attributed to heart disease.
It's no coincidence that the alarm-
ingly high rate of type 2 diabetes is
linked to the chronic obesity prob-
lem in this country. "If someone is
overweight, the risk of developing
type 2 diabetes is higher," he says,
adding that different types of fat can
be red flags for larg-
er problems. A man
who over time
developed a paunch
may be more insulin
resistant, but not
necessarily a diabet-
ic.
Dr. Grunberger
suggests that
although symptoms
for diabetes can be
vague — general
malaise, blurred vision, frequent uri-
nation in the evenings, occasional
numbness or tingling in the feet —
those who are overweight or who
have a history of diabetes in the
family should be tested.
"Diabetes starts innocently enough
and it's easy to ignore," he cautions,
but "it can rob you of 10 to 20 years
of life if it's diagnosed after 50."
And for those who do test posi-
tive, their life does not necessarily
have to be marked by radical
change. For example, while the fin-
ger-prick is still the preferred mode
of monitoring blood sugar, there's a
new generation of portable monitors
in addition to newer insulin delivery
devices, such as one that resembles
an ink pen complete with a pre-
filled cartridge with up to 300 units
of insulin.
Treatment-wise, Dr. Grunberger
says the cornerstone is the adoption
of a healthy lifestyle. "I try to be as
simple and direct as possible with
my patients, telling them to increase
physical activity and decrease what
they eat."
Fat Equation
Dr. James Bragman of West
Bloomfield Internal Medicine offers
some guidelines to help maintain a
post-50 healthy lifestyle. The 46-
year-old physician is board certified
in internal medicine and geriatrics,
and was the first osteopath at Royal
Oak-based Beaumont Hospital to be
had bypass surgery or angioplasty,
should train eight muscle groups
two to three times each week.
Dr. Bragman, who is also an
expert in sports medicine, is quick
to point out that even those with
arthritis can find a fitness routine
that's easy on the joints, such as
swimming, riding a stationary bike
or using an elliptical trainer. He also
gives a nod to yoga as a way to
mairitain flexibility and strength,
and boost the immune system, as
well as helping enhance diabetic
control by diminishing stress.
As for diet, Dr. Bragman says the
key is portion control. "You don't
have to go to draconian measures,
but certainly do without the Fred
Flintstone-sized meals. Eat smaller
portions in multiple-course meals."
The best preventive medicine,
once you hit 50, and even sooner if
there's a family history of certain ill-
nesses, starts with a yearly physical
and the battery of tests that go along
with it. For men, this includes
screening for prostate cancer, osteo-
porosis and colon cancer; complete
blood work; an EKG; and eye exam.
Finally, Dr. Bragman says men
who are healthiest in later years have
stayed physically active and engaged
in what he calls "mental gymnas-
tics."
"If you don't use it, you lose it,"
he says. ❑
Ed Nakfoor is a Birmingham-based
freelance writer.