Growing Old In Our Society Today
March 31, 2008 by GiGi · Leave a Comment
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In our quest for the Fountain of Youth, perhaps some consideration should be given to how society is going to react to all of us “age defying” seniors.
I recently came across an excellent article written by Bob Moos of the Dallas Morning News, which covered the new book by the famous Dr. Robert Butler called The Longevity Revolution.
The American public seems to be in denial about growing old and our society as a whole is not ready for the millions of Baby Boomers about the reach old age.
Many things were covered in this article and such topics need to be addressed NOW if we are going to enjoy our senior years as the healthy, happy and productive people we want to be. Some of the topics covered were:
- Ageism - we talk about racialism and sexism, but what about ageism? How many jokes have you heard about John McCain’s age?
- Financial Security - did you know that almost half of the Baby Boomers have retirement savings of less than $50,000?
- Medical Care - in addition to the rising costs and the poor state of our health care system that we already know about, there are not enough physicians being trained to treat diseases of aging.
It’s obvious that more and more seniors will continue to have to work. Our society will have to change its present stereotypes about older employees in order to accommodate them. Not all of us can hide behind our computers and the internet (like me!).
GOOD NEWS
Dr. Butler isn’t all doom and gloom. He’s come up with some innovative ways to meet the challenges of the aging population. And he feels that the Baby Boomers who were so instrumental in making changes in the 60s can do so again.
I say, “Hear! Hear! Fight On!” I’m ready to dust off my beads and flowers - where do I sign up?
Brain Food Video - Use It or Lose It
March 28, 2008 by GiGi · 3 Comments
In this video, Dr. Goldman from the American Academy of Anti Aging Medicine, discusses the foods necessary to keep your brain at optimum performance. He also mentions some supplements I’ve reviewed before (and some I’ll be reviewing in the future!) as well as mental exercises needed.
It’s only 2 1/2 minutes - worth it.
[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3371771972557965763&q=Dr.Goldman+Good+Brain+Food+site%3Avideo.google.com&total=1&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0[/googlevideo]
Reduce Your Wrinkles Caused By Frowning
Granted, most of my anti aging topics are about your body, not your face - and I certainly stay away from the “anti aging” cosmetics field, but do you know how much just the natural look of your face ages you? 
You may not even realize it, but if you concentrate intensely while you work, you’ve probably developed a bit of a scowl on your face. If you’ve gone through some depression, worry or frustration, it will show up on your face.
Some of us even scowl in our sleep - or grind our teeth or clench our jaw. These habits we develop become the frown lines or wrinkles on our face. As time passes, these habits make us seem like we’re scowling when we’re really not.
A Canadian company has come out with a hypnotherapy CD that is aimed at helping you get rid of those wrinkles. With seven years of research and using a fully trained hypnotherapist, they’ve designed a program aimed specifically at getting rid of those wrinkles caused by frowning.
I’ve had the privilege of being able to preview this product. It’s a 25 minute session that you listen to before bed. I’ve done plenty of self hypnosis before - this is different in that it has specific exercises to re-train your facial muscles.
Sorry, I haven’t listened to it enough to tell you if it worked for me yet, but they do have some compelling “before and after” photos on their site. I can tell you it’s a great way to get to sleep - especially if you have problems sleeping like I do.
It’s certainly worth checking out - relaxation should definitely be part of your anti aging program and if you can lose a few wrinkles along the way, so much the better. Plus, it’s a whole lot cheaper than Botox!
Readers Special! If you decide to buy, put gigi in the coupon box for an extra 10% ! (Must be purchased through the link below)
Beets for High Blood Pressure - Are They Worth It?
March 24, 2008 by GiGi · 2 Comments
There have been several new articles about how beets (more specifically, beet juice)can help with high blood pressure. In a British study, subjects given 2 cups of beet juice lowered their blood pressure by as much as 10 points. 
Great News!
Beets contain nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide, a substance that dilates blood vessels. One researcher from the study said, “Our research suggests that drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also be an additional approach that one could take in the modern-day battle against rising blood pressure”.
Not So Great News
Upon further exploration of nitrates, I found another site ( The Food and Fertilizer Technology Center) which states that the prolonged intake of high levels of nitrate is linked to gastric problems. And such compounds have been found to cause cancer in animals. Nitrates also form free radicals in the body - a major component of aging.
What To Believe?
Beets me! (Sorry - couldn’t resist) Seriously though, I’m not really sure. Perhaps the nitrate levels the two resources are talking about are vastly different. It seems for every good new research you find, there’s also another stating the opposite. If someone has an answer for this, please share it with us.
Luckily for me, I don’t have high blood pressure and I don’t like beets, either!
The good news is, no one is saying that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables in a wide variety is bad for you — yet.
