Holistic Wellness for Life North of 50

Some more tips to improve your health and wellness.

It’s 3 PM and you’re nodding off. What to do? Try a glass of water first, experts say, because fatigue can be a first sign of dehydration. If that doesn’t work, fuel up on one of these high-energy snacks:

• Oatmeal Its fiber keeps you full until dinner.
• Celery Top it with a little peanut butter and you’ve got a long lasting pick-me-up.
• Dark Chocolate Just a couple of bites may increase blood flow to the brain.

Leafy greens like spinach are packed with antioxidants that may fight cancer. But you won’t absorb most of these nutrients unless you mix the greens with a little fat, according to Iowa State University researchers. Enter avocado, which contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. Throw some into your spinach or lettuce salad to boost the antioxidant absorption at least eightfold.

Juice and sport drinks although healthier than sodas still have loads of sugar. Instead freeze pureed fruit in an ice cube tray and pop them into your glass instead and cut calories and sugar content.

Another way to cut down on sugar, try Truvia^TM It is a sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant. Try it in your coffee, tea or sprinkled on a bowl of cereal or fruit. A single packet provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar.

Rosemary Adding rosemary to marinades may cut your cancer risk – its antioxidants help combat potential carcinogens created when meats are broiled or grilled at high temperatures. Also adding cherry juice and beer or wine to the marinade may further help limit risks and improve your holistic wellness.

Just a few ideas to help make your life a little more healthy. I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist, just a regular guy who reads and passes along what info I find. So until next post -

Be well.

Reprinted from Health magazine

Retirement, in the past, has usually meant sitting in a rocking chair, growing old and then dying. If you were rich, you went on voyages or trips. But if not, you would sit around “relaxing”.  Supposedly, you were to enjoy doing nothing to make up for the years of always being busy with your job. Unfortunately, this usually resulted in poor health and depression. Most retirees would do nothing, no walking or exercising, probably gain weight, be isolated from old work acquaintances and try to adjust to a new unfamiliar daily routine. It’s no wonder a good portion of retirees are divorced, have severe health problems or are dead within 5 years of retiring.

Today’s retirees have options.  The solution is easy, along with having more healthy habits, stay engaged with life. There are many ways to accomplish this. One way is reviving old hobbies. Something you enjoyed doing before life got too busy to do it. Stamp collecting, gardening, wood working, arts & crafts, even sports are a few ways to keep active. Another alternative is to find a group of people with the same interests and start a club or join a local community club.

A great idea is teach that hobby to a new generation. Volunteer to work with a youth organization (Boy or Girl Scouts of America, Boys/Girls Clubs, Adopt a Grandparent etc.) or start your own youth club based on your particular hobby or interest.

Yet another is going back to school or take a course to learn something you always wanted to do. Most local colleges will allow seniors to audit or take classes for free. There’s also your local adult education community, they offer many classes for daily projects. Painting, Cordon Bleu cooking, flying, even get a degree in Botany or Clinical Psychology. You’re only limited by your willingness to go for a dream. I once read an article on a grandmother who finally went to college at 83, after her last grandchild left home.

One more thought (and this may be counter-intuitive), you can go back to work. No, I’m not crazy and talking about working 40+ to 80+ hours a week. I’m talking part time work or consulting, something you can enjoy. Many professionals who work long hours tend to form relationships with the people they work with that equal or exceed the relationships they have with their families. It only makes sense to continue those relationships on a more limited basis, as long as they are positive in nature. Along with interacting with your old friends, you can take off whenever you want to do the other things you need or want to do in your Life. Both venues have advantages, besides a little extra income each month. Consulting lets you set your own time while part-time you have to negotiate your hours. Part-time, the company handles taxes and social security. Consulting, it’s your business so you have to do all of that. Consult with a tax expert about to handle this for your situation.

Some people decide not to work simply to avoid losing money with the social security deduction. Here is an excerpt from the Social Security Board on the subject:

You can continue to work and still get Social Security retirement benefits. Your earnings in (and after) the month you reach your full retirement age will not affect your Social Security benefits. However, your benefits will be reduced if your earnings exceed certain limits for the months before you reach your full retirement age. (The full retirement age is 66 for people born in 1943-1954 and will gradually increase to 67 for people born in 1960 or later.)

If you are younger than full retirement age and some of your benefits are withheld because your earnings are more than $14,160, there is some good news. When you reach full retirement age, your benefits will be increased to take into account those months in which you received no benefit or reduced benefits.

Also, any wages you earn after signing up for Social Security may increase your overall average earnings, and your benefit probably will increase.

For more information, ask for How Work Affects Your Benefits (Publication No. 05-10069).

reprinted from http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10077.html#working

Go to or call your local Social Security office for the most accurate information when making your decision.

Whatever you decide, stay engaged with life. Do something you enjoy – anything to stay active. Really enjoy your new retirement life. You will do much improve your health and wellness. You will be much happier than if you don’t.

Be well.

1. Step 1

   Collect junk mail. Newspapers, paper shreddings, thin cardboard, wrapping paper and other assorted paper scraps may be used to make your log as long as the material does not contain plastic or other special coatings that would emit toxic fumes when burned.

2. Step 2

   Get an empty, cardboard toilet tissue roll.

3. Step 3

   Lay the longest piece of newspaper or junk mail on a flat surface in front of you. Position it so that the shortest side faces in your direction.

4. Step 4

   Place the toilet tissue roll along the short edge of the newspaper or long junk mail article. Roll it once around the toilet tissue roll so that no part of the roll’s cardboard is exposed.

5. Step 5

   Add more pieces of junk mail to the tissue roll, overlapping the first piece. Roll the cardboard roll over the junk mail until the pieces of junk mail aren’t exposed. Keep adding more junk mail under the cardboard roll and rolling it over the junk mail until you arrive at a hefty log of junk mail.

6. Step 6

   Tie the roll tightly using a piece of string.

7. Step 7

   Toss your log into your fireplace and light it when you need an extra heat source.