Body Health
Ever want to hold on to a moment in time? Of course we do, but we can’t. Time marches on—something two wasp nests taught me. “To everything, there is a season…” That line from the Bible was also a hit song for The Byrds in 1965, if you remember that far back, like I do. […]
I admit it. I used bioidentical hormone therapy for 12 years until one troublesome incident of unusual bleeding, although slight, made me seek out my doctor. When I was told had to stop taking hormones, I did, and later I definitely experienced postmenopausal dryness. I knew I was walking a slippery slope before this happened. […]
I was sitting at lunch with gal pals recently and the subject of losing weight came up in conversation. Not surprising, is it, considering that 45 million of us diet each year. Then I received an email about the book “Fat Loser! Mental Toughness Training for Dieters” by Steven Siebold. No, he’s not a doctor […]
Hop (not hope!) on over to my Facebook Page and enter to win! (I HOPE you win!) Write to me there, fabulous friends age 50+! Read on: Menopause is already a tumultuous time for nearly half of women in the United States, and between hot flashes and night sweats, it can seem like an uphill battle […]
Are you a “morning person?” Great! I like to maintain a set early-riser schedule, because of its general health and productivity benefits. Some weeks, I’m spot on: up at 5:15 a.m., out for a run or to the gym, returning to do pet duties, then doing “my” duties including shower, makeup and tidying the house. […]
I’ve had the opportunity to review numerous innovative products lately and will share that information with you. How have you been? And “are you sitting down”? I blogged almost two years ago about the risks of sitting too much, and those include diabetes and heart disease. I’ve been seeking a way to healthier sitting. Not […]
By now we know we need to wear sunscreen, especially if we’ve had a precancerous spot or a real skin cancer removed. I have, and I’m working hard to prevent any more, since I’d like to keep my face, thank you! I know you feel the same, so I want to share what’s new in […]
It might just be safe to go back into the water—salt water, that is. Actually, we’re talking about salt consumption and a new Danish study in the American Journal of Hypertension that finds we’re actually consuming the right amount of salt. That’s contrary to what we’ve been told, so this new salt study can be […]
I don’t know what I can really add to the heated discussions around the Affordable Care Act or ACA, also called “Obamacare.” But I’ll try. I’ll add my personal experiences about finally getting affordable health care. No sources quoted, no statistics, but just my thoughts. And my opinions. You know that I’m self-employed as a […]
Since we’ve left our periods behind and our female organs no longer bear children, we marvelously mature gals may not think much about our gynecologic plumbing—even though seemingly “dormant,” it can still cause problems. Fact: Women over age 60 are at increased risk for gynecologic cancers. More specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Today, I welcome this guest post from the National Eye Institute. I do this because the message is important—if not for you, probably for someone you know, so please share it. If you have diabetes, your doctors most likely have told you to keep your blood sugar under control through diet, exercise, and proper medication. […]
Let’s celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness month, brought to our attention by organizations, agencies and medical associations. The idea behind this month—not just a day of observance—is that we must never give up the fight against breast cancer. It’s the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. About 1 in 8 (12 […]
As you’ve gotten older, maybe you’ve noticed a “little extra” around your middle. It could be—but isn’t always the case—that your hormones are changing, just like you are, and that any excess weight is settling comfortably around your waist instead of your thighs or hips. That mid-body location could create health risks for you like heart disease, […]
If you’re a baby boomer, you probably remember the Irene Cara song, “I’m Gonna’ Live Forever.” Question is, would you if you could? The highly respected and renowned Pew Research Center recently released a comprehensive report—with key subsections—that’s entitled, “Living to 120 and Beyond: Americans’ Views on Aging, Medical Advances and Radical Life Extension.” Pew conducted a […]
You carry your purse with you and then—here’s the rub—you set it down in places like public restrooms, or worse, on the restroom floor instead of using handy hooks. Microbiologist Chuck Gerba of the University of Arizona reports that a third of purses have fecal bacteria on them, and that we should beware handbag bacteria. […]
We’ve heard it before, and this week, we heard it again, that the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UVA and UVB) are no friend to skin—UVBs are also a primary cause of sunburn. We know the sun causes skin cancer and now a new study out of Australia, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, confirms how […]
The end of the month is approaching fast, but before it’s gone, I want to remind you that May is Melanoma Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month. When you think “cancer,” you may not think “skin cancer” right off the bat, but you should, for it’s the most common cancer and melanoma is the deadliest […]
Heard of the National Sanitation Foundation? The organization is looking out for us in the kitchen, and recently decided “to take a closer look at Americans’ perceptions of germs in the kitchen and the effectiveness of their cleaning habits.” Their study results identify major infractions that are in close proximity to our food—meaning, the possibilities […]
Martha Stewart has something new: another book. I’ll read it because it may help me ease down my path to healthy aging. And I’m trying to walk it. A new book in itself isn’t unusual for her—she never rests—and neither should we. Stewart, at 71, has just published “Living the Good, Long Life: A Practical […]
As a boomer, you may be a caregiver for your parents or another loved one. Maybe you’re already acquainted with the exorbitant price of care, which continues to escalate. Now is the time to plan for your future, because odds are, you’ll have one. News from Caregiverlist.com reminds us that benefits from Medicaid differ from […]
The Groupon landed in my Inbox, and right away I thought: “Yes!” It was an offer I simply couldn’t refuse. For just a fraction of its “normal” price from a local plastic surgeon, I could receive a SmartSkin microablative laser treatment. The machine’s manufacturer, Cynosure, says its model can “treat deep wrinkles, significant photo damage, […]
We baby boomers take a lot of flack from mass media’s portrayal of us as “invincible.” It’s true that because we’re known for our adoption of “healthy aging” and “vital aging,” that we seem, in some circles anyway, to be conceited. Why not: We’re known as the “healthiest, wealthiest, best-educated generation.” Not so fast, at […]
It’s that time again. Time for the squish-fest we women not-so-lovingly call a “mammogram.” I’m all set for an encore of the advanced mammo called breast tomosynthesis, “an additional screening tool in the fight against breast cancer.” I blogged about this technology in October last year after I’d undergone the three-dimensional mammogram that’s now FDA-approved. […]
A decade ago, I asked Mom why the daughter of one of her friends acted “strangely.” She replied that “Susie” had been bitten by a mosquito while on vacation in South Carolina and had developed encephalitis—inflammation of the brain or adjacent tissues. She suffered nerve damage, and now had permanent cognitive and coordination problems—she was […]
If only we could take a pill and be 1) thinner 2) happier 3) wealthier. I don’t know of a pill for #3, there are plenty for #2 and as for #1—recently the FDA approved two drugs—the first in 13 years. That was a long wait, especially considering more than two-thirds of Americans are overweight. […]
Ever feel like “You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t?” I think many baby boomers may share my confusion, especially in the ever-broadening realm of often conflicting health information. And if it’s not conflicting, it raises questions about “How the heck do I deal with this one?” Case in point: According to a […]
When life puts you through the grinder, it may result in teeth grinding. I hadn’t realized I was guilty until I heard a popping, clicking sound in my jaw. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation did frighten me. This condition is called bruxism—grinding or otherwise gnashing your teeth. My dentist recommended a custom mouth guard—this […]
Not everyone believes climate change exists. It’s hard to ignore the hard data contained in the report, “The Killer Summer Heat,” from the Natural Resources Defense Council. It says that by 2100, more than 150,000 Americans may die due to intense heat. If you live in these cities, you’re most at risk now, says the […]
“Sun, sun, sun…here it comes.” So goes the 1969 tune from the Beatles “Abbey Road” album, a perennial reminder that when the sun comes (out), we need to slather sunscreen (on). Here’s what we still know, as echoed by the Environmental Working Group’s 2012 Sunscreen Guide: The FDA has never “finalized” its 1978 sunscreen safety […]
My cats do it, so why can’t I? They sleep between 16 and 20 hours a day—nearly two-thirds of their lives, which is a lot of downtime when you consider they have nine lives. When I’m working away here in my tenth hour, there’s nothing so inspiring as looking around the office to observe three […]
Chances are there’s a bottle of aspirin in your medicine cabinet. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, was first available in pill form in 1915, and is still a mainstay for most of us with good reason. It’s inexpensive, it’s available over-the-counter and it reduces pain and fever. Now three new studies out of Oxford University in […]
I can still hear my mother’s voice. “Stephanie, you’ve got a big wrinkle down the left side of your face.” (Yes, Mom, I know.) The motherly reminders began in my 40s and continued TFN. Once when Mom visited me in Los Angeles, we went as a pair to a dermatologist who shall go unnamed—and who […]
Happy Valentine’s! This month is American Heart Month, so in honor of yours, here’s great advice from the American Heart Association (AHA). Their website is a remarkable resource of research, advice and easy-to-use tools. And if you haven’t seen the “Just a Little Heart Attack” video yet, do it now, here. Remember: Heart disease is […]
Listen up, ok? Almost ten years ago at my mother’s house in lovely Charlotte, N. C., I awoke, flopped over and made an unwanted discovery. I whispered to my partner, “I can hear the clock ticking in my right year, but not in my left.” I was horrified. Audiology diagnostics revealed I’d lost 20% of […]
Am I dense? Yes. And I’m not alone. According to the website www.areyoudense.org: *Two-thirds of pre-menopausal women and one-quarter of post-menopausal women have dense breast tissue. *Cancer turns up five times more in women with extremely dense breasts than those with the most fatty tissue. Know thy breasts I believe women must be smart and pro-active about […]
Are you getting more than your “money’s worth” when you visit your doctor? If you’ve waited weeks for your appointment, then you feel rushed or short-changed, you may be surprised about what your physician really thinks. A study in the Sept. 26 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine reveals how physicians themselves rate time […]
Is our baby boomer demographic “delusional” about our health? That’s what’s been reported recently, based upon key findings below. I’ve summarized cogent points here of a poll released recently by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Harvard School of Public Health and NPR—which also reported the story. Take a look… “Apolling” results? For most retirees, life […]
Say it three times and it’s yours. Anacetrapib: It is part of the drug class of cholesteryl ester anise protein (CETP) inhibitors. If you have high cholesterol, you may wish it was yours. I’m revisiting news issued last November because it was really promising. In studies, anacetrapib boosted HDL, or good cholesterol, and clipped LDL, […]
Plop. There they’d go again, reading glasses sliding off the ski jump of my nose. I’d push them back—that is, when I could find the darned things. Losing my near or up-close vision was one of the first thunderclaps announcing: “You are not 20 anymore, girlfriend.” I mean, I’d always had 20/20 vision, until I, like […]
Ya’ gotta’ hand it to the awesome gals at Aging but Dangerous™. They didn’t let any grass grow under their feet or any polyps in their colons. Take The World’s Largest Colonoscopy Party, held March 31 at the Depot Minneapolis Renaissance Hotel. “Raising screening rates by 14% could save 500 Minnesota lives per year,” read the […]
I’ve been on bioidentical hormones for what is certainly not deemed “short-term” use. Actually, it’s been eight years. (I can hear you gasp.) That’s even as I am literally swimming in all the reasons I shouldn’t be taking them, as well as for me personally, a heckuva’ lot of reasons I think I should be. I […]
When we baby boomers were babies, our parents were unaware of the dangers of sun exposure. “Laying out” or baking in the sun in hot pursuit of a tan was normal—even if we didn’t tan. Now we’re reminded of our misdeeds by a motley assortment of wrinkles and lines, freckles, moles and worse—skin cancer. Last […]
Grammys, Oscars and Emmys send me running to the mirror, those near-perfect faces and bodies making me reassess whether I need “redoing” from head to toe to keep up with (fill in the celebrity name). I’m not suggesting everyone run out and “have work done” by any means, but numbers show some of us are. It […]
“Now, you’ll feel a little pinch,” says the nurse, as she draws a patient’s blood. Perhaps as soon as three to five years from now a simple blood sample can answer the complex question: “Do I have cancer?” or even “Do I still have cancer?” Seems like a medical miracle fairytale come true that a […]