I don’t know about you but I am getting sick of hearing about the diet pills, new fad fitness promises and exercise moves that promise a younger-looking, healthier body.   There is no diet or exercise “program” on the market today that will work for everyone, but I know we have all looked for the “magic bullet” that will do the trick for us.   Maybe something seemed to work for you and the pounds came off, but didn’t they start creeping back on as soon as you didn’t follow “the plan” anymore?

What kind of life is it if we must follow and exercise or diet plan for the rest of our lives just to keep the pounds off and look 10 years younger.  Being addicted to the bathroom scale is just as bad as being addicted to caffeine or alcohol.   I have not been on a scale in a year and I just as soon never get on one again. At my age, I now judge how fit I am by how I feel.  It gives me the freedom to live the way I want.  I think deep down inside we all know how we feel (or should feel) when we are as healthy or as fit as we want to be.

Successful Aging Physically and Emotionally

I can tell when I am on the right road to living healthy and fit:

1. I feel energized, relaxed and sexy.
2. I am told I look like I lost weight (even though I haven’t)
3. I find myself smiling.
4. The heat doesn’t bother me and neither does the cold.
5. My mind is alert, my thinking is positive -no stinkin thinkin
6. I am feeling grateful for the day and don’t take the gift lightly
7. I have the energy to live my values and not anyone elses.
8. My children look up to me and not down at me.
9. My blood pressure is in check
10. No heartburn, acid reflux or bloated belly

Manage Your Weight – Don’t Try to Control It

Notice I do not include on this list anything about weight loss.  We all like control, but some things in life just can’t be controlled.  If you can’t control what happens in life what makes you think you can control your weight?  Trying to control your weight on a daily basis is a set up for failure.

What you can do is manage your weight.  Sticking to your core values and and building your own personal fitness program based on those values is the secret of successful aging both physically and emotionally.  Jon Benson shows how to do this in his “Fit Over 40” book which I read several years ago.

I have recently read it again and have been reminded of his simple idea of a total transformation to a fit lifestyle based on a person’s own uniqueness. I have begun again to put into practice his timeless information and yesterday was told I looked good and asked if I have lost weight.  Now that really got me energized, relaxed and feeling sexy.   What is healthier than that?

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There is clear indication that exercising our minds are one of the keys for successful aging.  I was reading about a New Age of Centenarians on postitscience.com where the author discusses she just found out more than half the babies born in developed countries today will live to be over 100 years old.

I agree with the author that we must do all we can to live a vibrant life, however I don’t agree that living longer gives us an extra stage to now include four stages: childhood, adulthood, old age, and now really old age.  I prefer to explain the additional years as a second middle age of adult life. (Read my post here).

In addition to exercising our bodies, we must exercise our brains to accommodate the increase in years.  To keep your brain functioning well there are a few brain exercise activities you can do in everyday living situations that will help keep it nimble and functioning at it peak.

1.  Try memory expanding exercises: take a walk and when you come home, retrace your steps in your mind or go to an art gallery and try to remember as many painting you saw as possible.

2.. Try concentrating more:  Turn the TV or radio down and really listen to hear what is being said.  Careful listen helps expand memory capabilities.

3.  Try making your brain make make changes: Use a different hand for doing the simple things you do each day such as brushing your teeth.

You can start we these exercises and then try one more: see how many other exercises you can come up with that will stretch your brain and make it grow.  Have fun and make a game of it.

These exercises will expand your brain’s capabilities and keep you acting you acting younger.  As we age this is vital for us as individuals both emotionally and physically.

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Second Middle Age and Baby Boomers

If you are like most of us, you probably believe that the improvements in aging and longer lifetimes means that you will be old for a longer time. This comes from the long-standing assumption that “old age” officially begins at the fixed chronological age of sixty-five. So adding more years would mean more years of “old age” to your life.

If you think in terms of old age with adjectives like decrepit, feeble, broken down and weak -what a bummer!  I have good news for you because, this really has not been the case.

Lifetimes have grown longer, but physical aging has gradually and rather mysteriously slowed down. If you don’t believe me take a look at these pictures of two well known ladies approximately the same age but taken in different decades…..

Image via Wikipedia

People are not only living longer, they are entering physiological old age later in life. In fact, there has been a postponement of the physical aging process, and most baby boomers are feeling its impact to some degree.

There is a surprising affect of the postponment of old age. The additional twenty or thirty years of existence gained have been added to the middle of life-the prime of adulthood – as well as to its conclusion. Like a stretched rubberband, the entire length from the life course has stretched evenly, not just on one end. The result isn’t just the addition of time towards the conclusion of our lives, but transformation of the entire lifeline, especially of adulthood.

The time period of what was formally the end of middle age (about age 50) and what is now the beginning of true, physical old age (at some point over 75) forms a new second middle age of adult life – one that never existed before for most people. Now lifetimes may reach 100 years and include this second middle age or second act living as I like to call it.

This is great news for baby boomers who think they cannot start a second career or path in life at 50 years of age. Go for it, you have at least 25 extra good years to find what you want to do when you grow up.

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Bill Clinton is hospitalize for chest pain. This was the news yesterday.

Two days ago I published a post explaining that heart disease is the number one killer of women.  Since the Red Cross dedicates February as heart disease month, I thought it fitting to remind women about the dangers of this silent killer.  And today we received another reminder from Bill Clinton.

In 2006, Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery and in 2005 he had scar tissue removed which was related to the bypass surgery.  Yesterday, he had surgery to insert two stents to restore blood flow, one in the same artery he had unblocked during the original surgery.

A CNN article quoted Dr. Allan Schwartz, New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Chief of Cardiology “said the need for the procedure had nothing to do with Clinton’s post-bypass diet or exercise, which Schwartz called excellent. Rather, Schwartz said, this is “part of the natural history” of the bypass treatment.”

The article says Bill Clinton has been following the diet prescribed for his condition and exercising as well.  However, what happened yesterday is a natural progression to the bypass surgery he received and he could be in for more problems in the future.  Slowing down probably won’t help, but not to worry -there are medications out there and the prognosis is good.

What?  Since Clinton has left office, he has been running on a busy schedule.  He does need to slow down and take care of himself.  Sure there are pills but they can cause all sort of side affects so prevention and a healthy lifestyle is the key.

Heart disease is a chronic condition and may have no known cure, but there is more that can be done  other than ‘no junk food’ and some exercise.  How about rest and relaxation to reduce stress?  Or eating certain foods such as garlic and fish oil which have been associated with a healthy heart.

Can fish prevent heart disease? BBC science

From the series Can Fish Make My Child Smart, this episode looks at whether fish oils decrease the risk of heart disease. Is there a link? Free …

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It’s close to Valentine’s Day so it is a good time to remind everyone that not only is heart disease the number one killer of women but that the symptoms can be very different from men.

Post-menopausal women should be especially aware of a condition know as “Broken Heart Syndrome”.  It’s a rare condition and even more rare to die from it.  However it should be a concern since there is still very little known about the condition.  What is known is that 90% of the cases doctors have identified with this condition, have been post-menopausal women.

The condition is caused by stress, usually emotional, but occasionally it has been triggered by physical stress. Experts say the combination of lower levels of estrogen with an unusual response to adrenaline can trigger the syndrome.

Symptoms can mimic a heart attack and can be very severe. However when tests done to confirm a heart attach such as checking for blocked arteries, the result are usually found to be in the normal range.  The difference is that X-rays will show that the left ventricle has taken the shape of a vase-like pot  used in Japan and the reason the Japanese call it Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.  It is also know as Transient Left Ventricular Ballooning, Cardiac Syndrome X and Ampulla Cardiomyopathy.

Even though there is usually no long term effects of this type of heart episode, it’s important to take care of yourself when experiencing emotional trauma in your life.  Feeling overwhelmed, death and loss are emotional triggers can affect a healthy person in many unhealthy ways.  If you can’t mend that broken heart, at least do what you can to keep it healthy.

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I was reading Dr. Dorree Lynn’s list of “Healthy Foods to Fire Up Your Sex Life” and the foods she lists are pretty much well known aphrodisiacs.

She lists all the usual ones; grapes, oysters, chocolate (the natural antidepressant) and honey. I have never heard of honey as an aphrodisiac but, I suppose, with its antioxidants, it could boost desire. Definitely worth trying.

I have found that maca is one of the best and oldest known aphrodisiacs in the world. The root of the maca plant has been used as a source of nourishment and healing for hundreds of years in indigenous Andean cultures. Now recently gaining popularity in the western world as the “lost herb” due to its energy boosting properties. Maca does not increase sex hormones, but instead, acts on them and works in tandem with your body’s natural rhythm, intimately enhancing the sex drive.  A great way start on the road to a healthy lifestyle and fight the effects of aging.

I have seen it for sale at better health food stores as a powder. You can add a teaspoon to water and drink it but I suggest adding it to a smoothie or chocolate milk instead. The taste is not that great unless you can get use to it.

This funny little video shows the effects of adding maca into your life. They, of course endorse their own product which I have never use, but I like the video anyway.

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Quinoa has become a a staple in my kitchen as a healthy alternative to the starchy macaroni and noodle. I had never even heard of it while I was growing up but it has been cultivated in the Andean mountain regions of Peru, Chile and Bolivia for over 5,000 years.

This grain has been hailed as a superfood because of the many healing properties it contains. It has the highest protein content of any grain and is also high in the amino acids which make it a complete protein. What this means is that if you are on a high protein diet this is the perfect food for you.

Quinoa is a very good source of manganese. It is also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

It is a great addition to your diet in the quest for successful aging. It contains the amino acid lysine, which helps with tissue growth and repair, the fiber it contains prevents gallstones, and the magnesium relaxes blood vessels preventing migraines, hypertension and heart attacks. It also has been known to help prevent Type II diabetes, has antioxidants,and healthy brain properties. Whew, that is some good stuff.

Quinoa:101

Dani explains the benefits of this nutritious Super Food!!

In the past, you could only find it in health food stores but now I can find it in many supermarkets such as Wegmans in New York and New Jersey. The shape is similar to tapioca pudding and has a nutty flavor and is so versatile I use it in many of my soup and salad recipes instead of macaroni and noodles.

How to Cook Quinoa

I have two favorite ways of preparing Quinoa that can use anything I have in the refrigerator and everyone enjoys them no matter how they turn out.

Soup – Cut and saute a little onion and add some potato. Add a green such as spinach or swiss chard and a ready made chicken broth and and about a half a cup of rinsed quinoa. Cook for about 15 minutes and you have a healthy soup for a winter day.

Salad – Cook a cup of quinoa. Add tomato, lettuce, cucumber, feta cheese, and marinated artichoke hearts. Pour Caesar dressing on it and you have a wonderful salad that contains everything you need for a great satisfying lunch.

Both of these recipes can be altered by adding or substituting any ingredients you like. Experimenting until you find your favorites is the key to mastering the recipes.

Try it you’ll like it.

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I remember the first time I looked into the mirror and actually saw I had aged. it was the first day I was in the bathroom alone in many years. After raising four children there was very few times I could go into the bathroom without being followed by a train of little blond heads. This day I looked and realized I had lines and wrinkles which I had never noticed before. The nightmare happened and I was getting old.

Although we will basically all grow old when the time comes, this does not mean that we will appear to be old or we will live a life for old people. Remember that only your chronological age adds up but you can control your appearance, how you live your life and how you deal with old age. You don’t have to be a prisoner of the idea of being old. You can rise up to the image and be an old person who lead a young and fruitful life. Everything is up to you.

Below are some ways that you can lead this kind of life.

Use your age to your advantage

Being old not only means having wrinkles and sagging skin, it also means that you have sailed through life far longer than other people half your age have and you have gone through more things in life.

Aging means maturity and you can actually use this to your advantage. Your age will command you more respect. More people will listen to you and you will appear to have authority on what you are talking about.

When the kids were young and they asked me why I could do something when they were not allowed to do the same. I always told them, “RHIP!” Oh right, “Rank has its privilege.” I can still use that today.

Have a purpose

People who live for something will live longer and be younger. This is because their determination to do something will keep them going. Having a purpose in life or a goal in life will give you something to live for.

People who are busy going after their dreams will hardly notice the years. They are also more active, less likely to have vices and more positive in their approach to life. All these components combine to make them younger looking.

No worries. No regrets.

Live each day in the present. And though you have your dreams to look forward to and the past to learn from, you use them as your guide. Don’t dwell on them or make them the center of your life. Too much thinking can sometimes make your life miserable. Worrying about the future and thinking about the past will only add to your wrinkles. Set yourself free and just live day to day.

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According to a Michigan State University Study, only 3 percent of the participants undertook the four basic steps that they defined as a healthy lifestyle – not smoking, holding weight down, eating right and exercising.

This is totally shocking. With all the healthy living news and updates we are inundated with on a daily basis, you would think more people would be following the advice.

The study revealed that more women are living healthier than men but it does not break it down according to age. We suspect that the older you are, the more willing you are going to be to try to take steps to start living healthier.

If not smoking, holding weight down, eating right or exercising seem like to much of a burden, you can start today to take baby steps towards a healthy lifestyle.

We found a list at the Dumb Little Man website of 50 ideas for a healthy lifestyle that you can start today. Try to do even half of what is on the list each day and you are on your way to good health.

We can add a few of our own:

• Walk to the mailbox
• Pet a dog
• Smell a flower
• Look outside a window for ten minutes
• Drink a shot of fish or cod liver oil
• Help an old lady across the street
• Bend over and touch your toes (or at least try)
• Look in the mirror and say, “I like you”.
• Smell a baby
• Go fishing

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