Aging has a Deeper and Brighter Dimension

Aging is breaking away from the cultural norms of the 19th and 20th centuries. We are challenging and discarding long held opinions and beliefs about aging. Fading from popular culture is the notion that our vitality has a limit.

Better medical care, changing diets, and exercise have extended people’s vitality. After age 50, some complete their first marathon or hike the Appalachian trail. Others ski mountains or attend cooking classes in Oaxaca. Eighty percent of luxury tourism is done by people over the age of 55.

People over the age of 50 start one-third of all new businesses.

Whether you are an adventurer or gardener, aging has a deeper and brighter dimension. Never before have so many people, advanced in years with such a high level of health and wealth, been alive.

Life expectancy in the United States is now 79. In Western Europe it is 84.

Granted, there are millions in need for whom this is not an accurate scenario. But people around the world are living longer and healthier lives.

Retirement With More Vitality

Healthy longevity and falling birthrates create cultural, economic, and political shifts. Populations around the world are aging and this is a trend that is not going to reverse for generations.

The notion of “old age” mirrors one’s mindset. Age is an attitude. A 27 year old could be old. A 72 year old could embrace life with an attitude and energy and joy that would exhaust a 30 year old. There is so much to appreciate as we advance in years. People are embracing each turn that they take around the sun with a sweet wisdom that has them come more alive.

Life and usefulness do not come to a screaming halt when kids leave the nest or when one retires. This time of retirement is a new beginning, founded on a wealth of experience and reinvention. It is for many a time of transition, a renewal.

Retirement is Changing, When Will Products?

The current generation of retirees has rejected stereotypical marketing ploys. Business has been slow to respond to the needs and desires of retirees. Older adults have resisted classifications such as “old” and on the “decline.”

Products sold as helpful prove to be insulting and condescending. These include hearing aids, personal emergency systems, and cell phones with limited features. In his book, The Longevity Economy: Unlocking the World’s Fastest-Growing, Most Misunderstood Market, Joseph Coughlin writes, “geriatric technology lavishes far more attention on basic needs like health and safety than higher-level needs like the desire for human connection, personal or professional ambition, contemplation, and yes, fun.”

Big business lacks imagination when designing products for retirees. Few meet the needs of the elderly in a way that doesn’t exclude them from living fully.

As Coughlin writes: “it’s easy to see why this approach has prevailed for so long. The alternative—favoring high-level desires like fun over physiological needs like medicine—seems frivolous, even dangerous. (You can’t eat ice cream if you’re dead, after all.)”

One great example of a company that gets it right is OXO. The company started with one product, a potato peeler for arthritic hands. The result is an extensive line of cookware that is intuitive and a complete game changer. It is a type of product that anyone who has peeled anything would want to use and own. It makes a simple chore easier for everyone despite your age. These are the sort of products that work. They are inclusive and transcend age.

A Cultural Reshaping of Retirement

We shouldn’t be so fast to believe what the media is offering us, that people over 50 are on a downward spiral. The media neglects us. Marketers still create a culture of eternal youth and ageism. Watch in the coming years how that begins to turn around. Those who now think of aging as a disease will embrace it as a privileged journey.
And on this journey, by the way, we spend a little money.

People over 50 outspend those in the 30-44 age range.

According to Coughlin, “The spending of the 50-plus, combined with downstream effects, accounted for nearly $8 trillion dollars’ worth of economic activity—nearly half of… gross domestic product (GDP).”

Those of us who have been around the block a few times are going back to school. We are starting second or third professions. We invest time in our spiritual, physical, and social lives. We are politically active and engaged. We volunteer. We have a voice and we are not afraid to use it; even if the over-arching media machine fails to listen. We are here and we are real.

A cultural reshaping of retirement is emerging.

Retirement is a passage to another vital and meaningful stage in life.

It supports us in meeting the realities of aging. This is a new time. Business is slowly waking up to us. We refuse to be set aside.

So, do that thing that is poking at you. Take that risk. Savor that trip. Embrace that person. Live and love on!

Barcelona, Spain

New Hampshire, USA

Pulandaga, Paracale, CNorte Philippines

JP Philippines

Resources:

AgeLab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Longevity Economy

Our editor recommends another essay by Audrey Meinertzhagen:

Creating Authentic Rituals During the Journey of Life

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Audrey Meinertzhagen

As a Volunteer Caregiver to the Zen Hospice Project and a Course Manager at the

CareGivers Project, Audrey is passionate about improving the standards of care for 

older adults and education.

The Impact Loneliness & Isolation has on Our Brains

In his hit “Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel),” legendary crooner Roy Orbison hits close to home regarding the heartache of being and feeling alone: “Only the lonely know the way I feel tonight…only the lonely know this feeling ain’t right.”

Yes, it’s true — feeling alone is no fun. But the fact remains that many seniors spend most their lives lonely and isolated from the outside world. Sure, everyone enjoys a little alone time. However, for too many seniors, remaining isolated does more than diminish joie de vivre. It can actually increase the risk of disease — and may even precipitate an early death.

The Science Behind Excess Alone Time on Senior Brains

A 2010 survey sponsored by AARP, referenced in the Harvard Health blog, revealed that 35% of American adults aged 45 and up felt lonely. ¹  What’s more, their sense of isolation increased over time — 56% of the lonely respondents “had fewer friends at the time of the survey than five years earlier.”

The evidence is mounting that loneliness and social isolation actually affect the way our brains function. In the same article, Christopher Bullock, MD writes that when it comes to loneliness, “we now know it is not just a feeling, but a condition that has a very real effect on the body.”

A study conducted in the United Kingdom found “that hundreds of thousands of people had not spoken to a friend or a relative in a month — that’s a lot of silence in your life.

“Humans are social creatures,” Bullock goes on. “Among ourselves we form all kinds of complex alliances, affiliations, attachments, loves, and hates. If those connections break down, an individual risks health impacts throughout the body.”

A Clear Connection to Senior Health Issues

According to Dr. Bullock, recent research demonstrates the potentially serious impact of isolation on health, including:

• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
• Decreased cognitive and executive function (there is initial evidence of increased amyloid burden in the brains of the lonely)
• A 26% increase in the risk of premature death from all causes
• Decrease in the quality of sleep
• Increased chronic inflammation and decreased inflammatory control (linked to the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia)
• Decreased immune function leading to vulnerability to many types of disease
• Increased depressive symptoms
• Increased fearfulness of social situations (sometimes resulting in paranoia)
• Increased severity of strokes (with shortened survival)
• An overall decrease in the subjective sense of well-being

The Loneliness, Disease Connection is Nothing New

Studies began documenting the correlation between loneliness and illness some thirty years ago. Bullock reports that “social isolation was a major risk factor for mortality, illness, and injury, and in fact was as significant a risk factor as smoking, obesity, or high blood pressure.”

Other studies link loneliness with inflammation and neurological changes. For instance, lonely people experience dementia more frequently and risk premature death. ² And in a paper shared at the American Psychological Association meeting, Brigham Young University professor Julianne Holt-Lunstead suggested that “loneliness is a bigger health risk than obesity.”

Conquering the Isolation Curse

While loneliness is very common, treating it is often challenging. But seeing as how a recent University of Chicago study concludes that “loneliness can make you sick,” researchers are increasingly drawn to figuring out this “invisible epidemic.” ³

Here are six ways to help lonely seniors (and their aging brains) cope:

1.    Get moving. The longer someone has felt lonely the more difficult it can be to do something as simple as smiling and saying hello. But finding connections with other people is absolutely essential to alleviating a sense of isolation.

2.    A common cure. Feeling disconnected with other people and telling ourselves we have nothing in common pretty much guarantees loneliness will continue. Taking a risk and reaching out “may lead you to a connection or commonality that will make you feel less alone.” ⁴ Strong relationships can help build your health.

3.    Think outside your box. A major consequence of isolation is that we think too much about our personal plight. Switching our frame of reference to what others might be going through can help lighten our own loneliness.

4.    Hunt down a new hobby. Those of us who feel cut off from the outside world can easily fall prey to inertia. So get up and get out there and just do something. Whether it’s an exercise program or a pottery class, becoming engaged with a new pastime just might make you happier. Crafting can be one easy and engaging way to advance your cognitive skills and participate in a new activity.

5.    Show up. People who spend extended periods of time on their own often shy away from social functions. Try accepting an invitation to meet for lunch or coffee. If not, even sitting in a public place and reading can be surprisingly stimulating.

6.    Feed your brain. From crossword puzzles to jigsaw puzzles to enrolling in a course at a community college or even online, active brains are more likely to be happy, healthy brains.

The People Prescription

Dr. Bullock believes “that people are anxiety relievers.” He says that people are good for you and that finding ways to be around people is a smart way to go through life. His final thought is that “it is only within the complex and gratifying and sometimes challenging ecology of human relationships that we can truly thrive.” All of which sounds like an intelligent way to use your brain.

Pineapple Juice...amazingly healthy drink!

Top 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Pineapple Juice

Very few people know that pineapple is the second most favourite tropical fruit in the world. Fresh pineapple juice has adequate quantity of vitamins, enzymes and minerals which are good for overall development of health. It has many health benefits and can fight against stomach infections, constipation, indigestion, arthritis and sinusitis. As far as its benefits are concerned, the fully ripened fruit is the most beneficial one.

Pineapple Juice Improves Digestion

The enzyme bromelain present in Pineapple is useful in digestion and ensure neutralization of acids. Bromelain breaks down protein into simpler form and promotes digestion. It regulates pancreas secretion to aid in digestion process. Besides natural digestion aids, bromelain encourages healing of wounds, reduce pain in arthritis. Bromelain also helps in treatment of indigestion and acts as anti-inflammatory agent.

Bromelain’s Benefits

Pineapple juice contains bromelain enzyme which is beneficial in preventing of cough and colds as well as has other therapeutic values. Fibrin which is known as clotting of blood gets broken down into simpler form by bromelain. Bromelain helps in improvement of breathing by thinning mucous in the respiratory region. [smartads]Taking bromelain properly helps to lessen pain in arthritis.  It is also beneficial in inflammatory conditions likeacne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis and rosacea. It is also used as immunity booster. Bromelain enzyme has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancerous substance.

Pineapple Strengthens Bones

Pineapple is good in maintaining strong and healthy bones due to presence of manganese. A cup of pineapple juice contains about 73 percent of manganese for daily requirement of the body. Pineapple helps to grow bones at the younger stage while strengthening at the older stage.  The juice contains vitamin C and solves the problems related with gums. Instead of strengthening of bones, manganese is also useful in healing wounds, blood sugar regulation, increases immunity and keeps the skin healthy.

Pineapple Good for Eyesight

Pineapple contains beta-carotene and vitamin A that good for eyesight. Drinking of pineapple juice prevents macular degeneration and reduces the risk of vision loss at the old age, as suggested by many studies. The presence of anti-oxidants helps to solve the eye related problems and maintains good eye health.

Pineapple Combats Arthritis and Joint Pain

Drinking a glass of pineapple juice can greatly help to alleviate the signs and symptoms of arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory in nature. Pineapple juice reduces pain to old age people who are initially suffering from arthritis. Juice of pineapple also gives relief from muscle pain. Eating of this fruit strengthens bones. The presence of bromelain enzyme is considered to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Nutritional Value of Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice is packed with vitamins and minerals. Pineapple contains vitamin C, B-Complex (folate, thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin). On minerals front, it is having potassium, calcium, phosphorous and Manganese. It is also rich in natural soluble and insoluble fibre and low in calories. Fresh pineapple juice is having 75 percent of vitamin C of daily requirements. Vitamin C is good for healthy immune system, effective in cold and cell growth.  Vitamin B boosts metabolic activities of the body. B6 regulate blood sugar.  Vitamin A maintains healthy mucus membrane, eyesight and skin.  Potassium prevents muscle cramps and soreness.

Pineapple Reduces the Risk of Hypertension

Pineapple juice reduces hypertension due to adequate presence of potassium and lesser amount of sodium.  This proportion of potassium and sodium is the best way to combat high blood pressure.  A cup of pineapple juice contains about 1 milligram of sodium and 195 milligram of potassium.  So, it is suggested that persons suffering from hypertension may take pineapple juice regularly. Pineapple is considered as the fruit which has among the lowest amount of sodium in fruits.

Pineapple Keeps Teeth and Gum Healthy

Pineapple juice contains high amount of vitamin C which are beneficial for strong teeth.  Eating pineapple strengthens gums thus keep our teeth healthy and strong. It prevents plaque formation by restricting the activities of bacteria, reduces the risk of periodontal diseases and gingivitis.

Pineapple Good for Heart Health

Pineapple juice improves blood circulation, good for heart health and ensures smooth blood flow in the circulatory system.  Pineapple juice also contains bromelain that makes blood thinner which reduces the chances of heart attack, stroke and other heart diseases.  Antioxidants in vitamin C also lower the risks of heart diseases by combating free radicals.  Vitamin C also prevents atherosclerosis. It acts like as anti-coagulant.

Benefits of Pineapples

• Drinking pineapple juice in the morning prevents sugar and fat cravings, thus good for obesity people to maintain weight or lose weight.
• Pineapple boosts immune system because of the presence of vitamin C, A, and selenium.
• Fresh pineapple foot mask smooth skin as it contains alpha-hydroxy acid.
•  Due to rich in fibre, it helps to cure constipation and irregular bowel movement.
•  Pineapple juice is good for skin and beauty. It helps to improve skin hydration and remove dead cells from skin.
•  Drinking of fresh pineapple juice also helps in removing of intestinal worms.
•  Its juice acts as natural diuretic and helps to release toxins from the body.
• Pineapples are also beneficial in curing of sore throat and bronchitis.

Source: http://www.gyanunlimited.com/health/top-10-amazing-health-benefits-of-pineapple-juice/6086/

Forgiveness theraphy is now use to treat Cancer.

The Deadly Consequences of Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness is classified in medical books as a disease. According to Dr. Steven Standiford, chief of surgery at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, refusing to forgive makes people sick and keeps them that way.

With that in mind, forgiveness therapy is now being used to help treat diseases, such as cancer."It's important to treat emotional wounds or disorders because they really can hinder someone's reactions to the treatments, even someone's willingness to pursue treatment," Standiford explained. Of all cancer patients, 61 percent have forgiveness issues, and of those, more than half are severe, according to research by Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and the author of the book, The Forgiveness Project.

"Harboring these negative emotions, this anger and hatred, creates a state of chronic anxiety," he said. "Chronic anxiety very predictably produces excess adrenaline and cortisol, which deplete the production of natural killer cells, which is your body's foot soldier in the fight against cancer," he explained.

Barry said the first step in learning to forgive is to realize how much we have been forgiven by God.

"When a person forgives from the heart – which is the gold standard we see in Matthew 18, forgiveness from the heart – we find that they are able to find a sense of peacefulness. Quite often our patients refer to that as a feeling of lightness," he said.

Barry said most people don't realize what a burden anger and hatred were until they let them go.

Forgive.

Have a Great one Everyone!

Source: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2015/June/The-Deadly-Consequences-of-Unforgiveness/?cpid=:ID:-2354-:DT:-2015-06-22-16:03:23-:US:-AB1-:CN:-CP1-:PO:-NC1-:ME:-SU1-:SO:-FB1-:SP:-7C1-:PF:-TX1-

Why You Should Freeze Your Lemons

When I got this from a friend, I was in utter disbelief.  So, I Googled it to double check my facts and yes indeed it is true.  Bottom line everyone should freeze lemons!

So why freeze lemons?

“A new study has shown for the first time how limonoids, natural compounds present in lemons and other citrus fruit, impede both ER+ and ER- breast cancer cell growth. This sheds new light on the importance of citrus fruit for breast cancer prevention and supports past studies which showed fruit consumption may lower breast cancer risk.(1)”

All kinds of people are saying that the entire lemon should be used with nothing wasted.   Not only for the obvious health benefits but also for the amazing taste!

How?

Simple, take a ORGANIC lemon, wash it, and then put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen you get whatever is necessary to grate or shred the whole lemon without even peeling it first.

Then sprinkle it on your salad, ice cream, soup, cereals, noodles, spaghetti sauce, or whatever. No holds barred. What you will experience is that whatever you sprinkle it on will take on a taste you may never have experienced before.

Why would I do this? Because the lemon peel contains 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself and the peel is the part that is usually wasted. Not only that, but the peel helps to get rid of toxins in the body.

But wait, there’s more. Lemon is effective in killing cancer cells because it is allegedly 10,000 stronger than chemotherapy.

This has not been revealed because there are people out there that want to make a synthetic, toxic version that will bring them huge profits.   Shades of Monsanto.

The good news is that the taste of lemon is pleasant and does not deliver the horrific effects of chemotherapy.

What’s bizarre is that people are closely guarding this fact so as to not jeopardize the income to those that profit from other’s illnesses.

Another interesting aspect of the lemon is that it has a remarkable effect on cysts and tumors. Some say the lemon is a proven remedy against all types of cancer.

It doesn’t end there. It has an anti-microbial effect against bacterial infections and fungi; it is effective against internal parasites and worms; it regulates blood pressure, which is too high; it acts as an anti-depressant; it combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information, although not specifically named, is one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world. They further say that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that it destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas and that the compounds of the lemon tree were 10,000 times more effective than the product Adriamycin, which is a drug normally used chemotherapeutically in the world to slow the growth of cancer cells.

Even more, this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and does not affect healthy cells.

The process is simple: buy an ORGANIC lemon, wash it, freeze it, grate it, and put it on everything you eat.

It’s not rocket science. God puts stuff on the planet to keep the body healthy. The corporations hide this information and create synthetics to treat disease. The synthetic chemical creates other symptoms from its ingestion requiring another drug to combat these symptoms.

And so the cycle continues, which equates to enormous profits coming from an overt intention to keep a body ill and suppressing natural healing foods, minerals and modalities, all withheld by the mainstream media to not jeopardize their advertising dollar income, and payoffs to the politicians to not pass laws that will greatly benefit the people.

If we do not take responsibility for ourselves and go against the mainstream grain, we will inevitably remain a “trick” our whole life.

Source: http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/right-mind-freezes-lemon.html

10 Things You Need To Know About Lupus

1. It is an autoimmune disease. It is the result of the body’s immune system attacking healthy cells and tissues, causing inflammation and organ damage (kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, central nervous system).
   
2. Symptoms. They mimic symptoms of many other diseases -- including the common cold, flu, joint pain, fever and rashes.
   
3. What causes lupus? It is believed to be caused by both genetics and environmental triggers.
   
4. Who gets lupus? Anyone can get lupus. Women and communities of color – African Americans, Asians and Latinos are disproportionately affected by the disease.
   
5. Diagnosis. Lupus can be difficult to diagnose. It can take an average of 4 to 6 years, and after seeing 3 different doctors before a person is diagnosed with lupus. The American College of Rheumatology has established 11 criteria for diagnosing lupus. A patient with at least four of the 11 criteria can be officially given a lupus diagnosis.
   
6. Is there a test to diagnose lupus? There is no single test to diagnose lupus. The doctor will look at a patient’s history, symptoms and order several blood tests (double-stranded DNA, ANA) before a diagnosis is made.
   
   
7. Cure and Treatment. Currently, there is no cure for lupus, but there are medications that can treat specific symptoms. Doctors prescribe drugs to reduce inflammation, decrease production of antibodies that attack health cells and tissues, and treat infections.
   
8. Lupus Flare. With most lupus patients there is an alternating period of lupus flare and remission. Flares can be triggered by environmental and other factors like sun exposure, stress, infections and even certain medications.
   
9. Incidence and Prevalence. It is estimated that more than 1.5 Million Americans have lupus. Worldwide, the number is 5 Million and 100,000 more are diagnosed each year.
   
10. Support. If you or someone you know has, or suspects having lupus, seek help from your doctor, Rheumatologist, or primary health care provider. Contact the Lupus Foundation of Northern California (www.lfnc.org) for resources, referrals, information and support.
    
    More about Lupus....read here: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/partner-genetics-may-be-key-in-detecting-causes-of-lupus