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The first time I traveled to Europe, when I was an extraordinarily naive 23 year old, I’d never seen the bathroom fixture that was installed next to the toilet in our hotel room. Douglas, my husband, had been abroad a number of times, and told me it was a “bidet” that Europeans use to cleanse their tushes with water after they use the toilet.  Pretty snazzy, I thought, even though we were staying in an unsophisticated hotel.

I quickly learned that bidets are a fact of life throughout most of Europe, and not just for the “ruling class.” As a matter of fact, bidets have been mandatory for decades in countries including Italy and Spain, and are widespread in places from Japan to Argentina.

So, what does the rest of the world know that we don’t?  What they know is that using a bidet to gently cleanse their tushes is far more sanitary than constantly wiping, irritating and smearing them with dry paper, even if it’s cloud-soft toilet paper. We wouldn’t think about cleaning our dirty dishes with just a tissue, then reusing the dishes, so it surely doesn’t make sense to do it with our beautiful butts. What’s more, bidet enthusiasts don’t spend a fortune on toilet paper; Americans spend about $6 billion on it every year.  And, over 15 million trees are cut down annually to manufacture toilet paper.

Her Husband Gave Her WHAT??

Miki Agrawal lives in Brooklyn, NY, but she’s a big believer in bidets. “My mother is Japanese, and my father comes from India, and they both grew up with bidets,” she said. A business and communications graduate from Cornell University, Miki’s career skyrocketed by developing products that filled important needs, including quality, beautifully designed undies to keep us dry from bladder leakage, and restaurants featuring gluten, hormone and preservative-free pizzas and other foods. She turned her attention to cleansing backsides after her soon-to-be husband bought her a bidet attachment for her toilet. “Once you use a bidet, you’ll never want to go back to toilet paper again.  It’s also great as we become less flexible as we age,” Miki told me.

Miki has seen a growing number of women of all ages develop health issues, such as yeast and urinary tract infections, fissures, anal itching and hemorrhoids, and she knows many of our problems could be prevented if we used bidets. “Standard bleached toilet paper has harsh chemicals and spreads infections,” Miki said.

Although we can buy bidet toilet seats for many hundreds of dollars, or flimsy, cheap attachments for our own toilet seats, Miki wanted to create a beautifully designed product that was neither flimsy or expensive, and could easily connect to our current toilets.

The Birth Of Her Bidet

The result is TUSHY (how cute is that?) It fits standard toilets, and even some one-piece toilets, and it doesn’t require electricity or plumbing. I unscrewed my toilet seat, put TUSHY in place, connected it to the water supply, and voila, I had a bidet. Besides good looks and easy installation, TUSHY features a pressure and angle control to deliver a gentle spritz to a power wash just where I want it. My bottom feels as fresh as it does after I shower! I’m using the TUSHY Classic model, but for only a few dollars more, you can buy TUSHY Spa, which gives you cool or warm water.

>>CLICK HERE TO TRY TUSHY TODAY!

If you still can’t live without toilet paper, you can buy inexpensive, two-ply, organic toilet paper from TUSHY, made with unbleached, “silky-strong” bamboo fibers. “Bamboo grows like a weed, and we don’t have to chop down 150-year-old trees to produce it,” Miki explained. You’ll also use 80 percent less paper when you have a TUSHY bidet, she said. The company also has a partnership with Samagra to provide one family in rural India with access to clean community toilets for every TUSHY bidet sold. Poor sanitation facilities in developing countries results in the death of one child every 17 seconds,TUSHY reported.

If you make the move to go paperless, you can pat your butt dry with eco-friendly, anti-bacterial, and super absorbent TUSHY towels. These soft bamboo towels are unbleached and can be machine washed and dried.

WHAT’S BEHIND IT ALL (get the pun?)

I admire Miki for her entrepreneurial accomplishments. Even before I learned that she also created Icon undies, I was a big fan. I’ve never been to Wild, her pizza restaurant, but one recently opened near my house in Brooklyn, so I intend to give it a try. In September 2001, Miki had recently started working in finances for a company with offices in the building near the World Trade Center. “After my friend went to her office in the Trade Center, I’d walk across the street to my office.”  On September 11th, Miki didn’t hear her alarm clock and slept late. Frantically calling a car service to get to work ASAP, the dispatcher told her to turn on her TV set, then hung up.

“I had a wakeup call after that day to pursue my passion. I was only 22, but realized life is short and so many things can happen.  We’re lucky to be sitting here talking to each other,” she told me.

I’m sharing Miki’s story because knowing a little about the people behind the products I use makes me appreciate them even more. I highly recommend TUSHY.

to give your tush the time of its life. Enter code FABOVERFIFTY for 10 percent off already great prices.

After Elodie Trouche learned that she carried the BRCA2 mutation gene, and had a 50 to 70 percent chance of getting breast cancer, she became “sick to her stomach worrying” while she waited for her six-month MRI and xray results.  Wishing to ease her mind, Elodie was ready to have a mastectomy, but she didn’t want to be “mutilated,” she recounted. Her sister, who also had carried the BRCA gene, underwent a mastectomy in France a few years earlier, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Eloide didn’t want her breasts to look like her sister’s. “I’d be devastated to have what my sister has in terms of surgery,” she said.

“My surgeries were going to be prophylactic. I did them as a healthy patient,” said Eloide, who had a hysterectomy first. “I wasn’t sick, and I didn’t want to be treated as someone with cancer,” she emphasized. “At 45, I wasn’t planning to have other children (she has a 4-year-old son), so I had my ovaries removed and began hormone replacement therapy. There are too many risks associated with entering menopause that early,” she explained.

When it came to her breasts, Eloide woke up one morning and it was “in my head to have [far less invasive] robotic surgery,” but people looked at her like she was “crazy,” she recalled. Learning from a friend with cancer about a doctor on Long Island who was looking for a patient on whom he could perform his first robotic breast surgery, Eloide jumped at the opportunity.

ENTER DR. TANNA

Dr. Neil Tanna, a double board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery of the face and breast, had long questioned why patients with and without breast cancer have similar surgeries.  Always thinking of ways “to do things better to maintain a woman’s femininity, and keep her spirits as high as possible and her recovery as low as possible,” Dr. Tanna started researching literature on the most minimally invasive ways to do surgery and breast reconstruction.

Learning about the robotic mastectomy, first done in Europe in 2015, Dr. Tanna and Dr. Alan Kadison, a surgical oncologist, traveled to Milan and Paris to spend a few days each with the doctors who had performed the operation. “We were blown away by the procedure, which involves making only a small, 3-to-4 centimeter incision, totally off the breast; instead in line with the bra line a few centimeters below the armpit,” Dr. Tanna explained. “The robot allows us to have the visualization and to use small instruments.  We were impressed with the technique, the doctors’ data and their experiences,” he said.

As fate would have it, Drs. Tanna and Kadison and Eloide found each other! “We told Eloide we had never done the surgery, but she wanted to move ahead,” Dr. Tanna recounted. After getting approval from an Institutional Review Board,as well as training on a cadaver model, he and Dr. Kadison planned Eloide’s surgery for March of this year. “We were happy to start with Eloide because she was a BRCA patient, and there was no question that a nipple-sparing mastectomy (form of mastectomy where the nipple is saved) was indicated,” Dr. Tanna said. And, Eloide’s breasts weren’t sagging, so excess skin didn’t have to be removed. “Robotic surgery can’t be used to remove extra skin,” he added.

ELOIDE AFTER ROBOTIC BREAST SURGERY

The robotic removal of tissue from Eloide’s breasts, and the insertion of implants, lasted about eight hours. Patient and doctors were delighted with the outcome. “I took painkillers the next day, but otherwise had no pain. I drove again after 10 days, and returned to work after two weeks.  I bike and run, and there is zero change in the way I swim. All my mobility has returned,”Eloide reported.

A B cup before the surgery, Eloide opted to have small D implants.  “I breastfed my son for two years, which stretched my skin, so I didn’t have to have it stretched for the larger implants. My old skin is holding them. They feel comfortable and look natural,” Eloide added. “The robot also makes breast reconstruction easier, because it gives us good visualization once the breast tissue is removed,” Dr. Tanna said.

“Eloide had no complications and a quick recovery. This is no longer your grandmother’s mastectomy,” commented Dr.Tanna. “Some women with the BRCA gene, or other genes that predispose them to breast cancer, are afraid to get surgery, but they don’t have to be as afraid today since there are options to restore the breast so it looks as natural as possible.” Besides the aesthetic advantages, robotic breast surgery helps a patient’s overall psychological well being, Dr. Tanna said. “It’s in a woman’s interest to have this surgery if she has a high risk of getting breast cancer.”

By keeping incisions off the breasts, robotic surgery also doesn’t compromise the blood supply to the breasts or “insult” the tissue as does a traditional mastectomy, which involves major cuts to the skin, muscle and often to the nipples, Dr. Tanna explained. “We think we’re minimizing the risk for some of the potential complications related to blood flow after a traditional mastectomy and reconstruction.”

THE NEXT STEP: BREAST CANCER PATIENTS

Believing that robotic surgery also can have successful outcomes for cancer patients, Dr. Kadison aims to lead a clinical trial that will track the outcomes of the surgery on a meaningful group of patients with breast cancer. Hoping to get regulatory approval for the trial by the last quarter of this year, Drs. Kadison and Tanna say they have a “responsibility to patients and to the scientific community at large to determine the safety and success of the robotic technique.”

It’s important to know, however, that robotic surgery only can be performed on women who are candidates for “nipple preservation,” because if cancer is located in tissue near the nipple, it must be accessed by removing the nipple through a traditional mastectomy.

Eloide, in the meantime, has created Robotic Prophylactic Mastectomy, a Facebook group where women can share their experiences about enjoying life after mastectomy.

If you’re interested in contacting Dr. Tanna, you can email him at ntanna@northwell.edu or call him at 516-497-7900.  His practice is located in New Hyde Park, NY.

Sponsored by Acts Retirement-Life Communities

As the weather warms up, and we put our heavy winter coats into storage, it’s easier to get outdoors for more physical activity and a little Vitamin D. We also have lots of options for exercise.  

But, as the temperature rises, it’s important to stay safe and treat your body responsibly. Exercising in excessive temperatures can be dangerous, especially for older adults, so it’s essential to stay hydrated and to be sure you’re not pushing your body too hard.

Here are six safe activities to help keep you fit in the summer without getting you fatigued. Some of them even will even help you cool down!

Gardening

We all know that demanding physical activity gets tougher as we age, and many of us would be happy having someone else do backbreaking work like landscaping. Light gardening, however, can be a great way to casually exercise, as long as you’re doing it safely.

Make sure you do any bending, kneeling and twisting in correct form. When bending, bend at the knees in a proper squat position, supporting your weight with your upper legs. Multiple repetitions of these squats can help build muscle, support your back and strengthen your core. Sit on a small stool to avoid injury if you have issues with your legs or knees.

If you’re digging with a large spade or shovel, bend at the knees and don’t round your back when you lift the dirt. Lifting with your legs, not with your back, will help you avoid an achy back or serious injury. Also, make sure to stand, stretch and walk around at least once every 30 minutes to an hour to keep circulation flowing.

Always keep plenty of water at hand when you’re gardening or during other physical activity.  We’ll talk more about this later, but hydration is key to your health. Use a spray bottle to mist yourself with cool water if you start to feel overheated. If you have unforgiving knees, be sure to place something sturdy nearby to help support you when you’re lifting yourself off the ground.

A Dip in the Pool

Swimming is great way to keep our bodies in shape throughout the year, but it’s most fun in the summer when a dip in the pool helps keep us cool. If you don’t have a pool in your own backyard, you usually can find one at your local community center, park, or YMCA. Many vibrant retirement communities offer aquatic centers on campus. Imagine a pool that’s always available and steps away – minus the responsibility of upkeep!

Swimming is a fantastic, low-impact exercise that’s easy on the joints and strengthens nearly every muscle in the body. It also can benefit cardiovascular health by strengthening your heart, lowering your blood pressure, and improving your circulation.

If you want to do more than swim laps, you can participate in water aerobics, which consists of a variety of movements, including walking and even dancing in the water. Resistance exercises in the water, such as arm curls and leg movements, can help strengthen muscles, and water relaxation exercises can help lower blood pressure and decrease stress. Water volleyball is trending in many retirement communities across the nation.

Swimming and water aerobics alone can be dangerous at any age, so go with a friend or make sure a lifeguard is on duty. Inexperienced swimmers may want to keep a flotation device near in case of muscle cramps or fatigue.

Take a walk

The advantages of taking regular walks in the fresh air are so numerous, it’s hard to argue against this aerobic exercise, especially after you’ve been cooped up all winter. This low-impact activity can improve circulation, decrease bone loss, improve you sleep, help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, improve your mood, support your joints, improve respiratory function – and much more.  Walking also improves your balance, which is paramount as we age. Read more about the importance of maintaining muscle balance.

Make sure to carry your cell phone when you walk, should you unexpectedly become fatigued and need to call someone for a ride. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, strap on light arm or leg weights, but be careful not to overexert yourself if you’re just getting started.

Try Pilates or Yoga Outdoors

Yoga and pilates can calm your movements, decrease your stress, and help you find inner peace. What better way to experience these benefits than outside on a beautiful day? Since neither of these activities is especially aerobic, there’s less of a chance that you’ll overexert or overheat yourself.

Yoga often is based on broad muscle groups, and focuses on improving balance, flexibility, endurance, strength, and spirituality, with some physical movement. Yoga can range from gentle and peaceful to sweaty and extremely challenging, so any of us can find a style to suit our needs and ability.

Pilates is a more disciplined practice that should be done regularly to experience benefits. Pilates classes focus on flexibility, muscle toning, strength, and body control. Little cardio is involved, and the poses aren’t as complex and challenging as those in yoga. Read about why yoga is becoming very popular among older adults, and about its numerous benefits to the body, mind and spirit.

A yoga mat also will provide a level of comfort when performing pilates. And make sure to carry a hand towel to wipe away perspiration. A professional instructor can show you how to safely perform the moves.

Light Outdoor Sports or Recreation

Light outdoor sports such as bocce ball, horseshoe throwing, pickleball, and shuffleboard keep are untraditional ways to exercise that can keep your body moving and strengthen muscle tone.

Hiking, cycling and kayaking are more intense ways to exercise, and can be great for the body, as long as you don’t exceed your physical limitations. If you have any doubts, talk to your doctor before participating.

As with swimming, it’s best to participate with a partner in these sports so you can watch out for one another!

The Importance of Hydration

It’s crucial to drink water to stay hydrated during any outdoor physical activity, especially during the summer. Our bodies are made up of 60 percent water, so being hydrated helps you remain healthy and maintain proper body functions. It also helps you to think clearly, repairs your muscles, and increases your metabolism. Even if you’re taking a dip in the pool, you should keep hydrated.  Here’s additional information on the importance of hydration.

Opportunities at Your Fingertips

Retirement communities can offer perfect settings for outdoor recreation and exercise. Most have outdoor sports areas with shuffleboard and bocce ball courts, horseshoe pits, and more, as well as indoor and/or outdoor pools. Walking trails offer safe and convenient ways to get in your daily walk and enjoy Mother Nature, and community gardens are typically buzzing with activity during this time of year.

You’ll always find someone to enjoy activities with you in a retirement community.

Professional staff, including certified fitness trainers, are available for support, classes, instruction and general tips on how to succeed with your exercise plans. Acts communities, for example, have wonderful programs to benefit the body, mind and spirit, so that all residents can have the chance to achieve their wellness goals.

to learn more about what the Acts lifestyle can offer you.