grow older better

Tag: friends

Another Reason To Love Your Coffee

In my lifetime, coffee has been seen as bad for you, and good for you, and all points in between these two extremes.

As with most food research, I used me as my own subejct…and I figured it was good for me….

I love coffee…I have been drinking it since way back in high school.

Over the years, I cut back on the amount I drank, but I never stopped, and never will stop, drinking coffee!!

Now we see that coffee may keep us from getting depressed and committing suicide.

In this study of over 43 thousand men…..

Suicide was the cause of death for 277 people over the course of the study, though researchers made a surprising discovery: the risk of suicide for adults who drank between 2-4 cups of coffee each day was 50 percent lower than adults who drank decaf, very little or no coffee.

Their conclusions:

Researchers explained that coffee and caffeine stimulate the central nervous system, acting as a mild anti-depressant by boosting the brain’s production of neurotransmitters including noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin, chemicals all associated with depression. This, they add, could help explain why the results of past studies have linked coffee to lowered risks of depression.

So here’s to a happier life – filled with just the right amount of java …… and friends to drink it with….

Thoughts?

Comments?

Thank you!

07/29/2013
You Will Likely Live to 90
What will you do with all the extra years?

Right now there are nearly 2 million people in the USA who are in their 90s and it is projected that by 2050 three will be 9 million of us over 90.

What will the extra years be like for us?

Many "seniors" are already worried about outliving their incomes and adding more years to their lives may add more expenses but not necessarily more income.

Living into one's 90's or 100's is no longer the stuff of legends
- it is happening to us
- and happening right now
- and will continue to happen
Will you just grow old?

Or grow older better by:

Eating well

Exercising

Taking supplements [but make sure they are not made from rocks and petroleum]

Being social

Hanging out with friends on your computer

Continuing to work [by finding a new career] – even if you don't need the money

Playing

SMILING!!

Thoughts? Comments?
01/17/2012
65 Million MORE Obese People?
According to some recent surveys, there will be 65 million more obese U.S. citizens by 2030 and 11 million more in the U.K.

I've written books, articles, and blog posts on the obesity epidemic and this is scary! The epidemic is not slowing down!

It means more obesity-related illnesses, more obese children, and more [and more costly] health care – which we all pay for!

And as a Developmental Psychologist, to me it means future generations of children who will not have the best start on development that they can.

It's called an epidemic for good reason. Obesity is apparently "contagious."
- If you are obese, your family is more likely to be obese; especially your children
- If you hang out with obese people, you are morel likely to become obese
- If your non-obese friends hang out with you; they are more likely to become obese
Please – think not only about yourself and your own health but
- think of your family
- think of your friends
- think of the future
Don't be in this statistic – grow older better – be healthy!

Thoughts? Comments? Thank you.
10/02/2011
That’s what friends are for!

The bed these two are in is a one cat bed…and they both easily fit into it when they were were adopted at 2 and 3 months of age.

But now they are 5 and 6 months old and like people, they have grown but the bed has not….

Yet when the wind is howling and the house is moving – they both hop into it.

03/22/2011
On birthdays, social media and friends

NYC girl scouts circa early 1950's – some of whom I am still in contact with

Yesterday was my birthday…

Starting over the weekend, many friends on Facebook wished me a happy birthday.

[FYI – Facebook posts the date of your birth if you want it to show. Twitter and other sites do not.]

Some of those on Facebook I have met in real life [or IRL as we say] – but most I have never met – or rather – I should say have not yet met. I am sure I will meet many in the future as we have a lot in common.

Some of my non-social media friends wonder why I call my online friends – friends! Well to me they are friends.

They were there for me in my depression when my pets died and in my joy when I announced that my son was getting married.

They are ardent supporters of my writing and my thoughts about politics and life – and they sometimes enjoy my videos and photographs [and even my knitting projects ]

So – what is a friend?

I have friends I see every day, I have friends from years ago that I stay in contact with via phone and visits, and some with whom I am in contact only via email or online. And of course, my online-only friends.

Is there a difference in these friends? Yes. For those from the far ago pasts, and even my not-so-far-ago pasts – we may have different points of view and events on life now – but we once shared a history and that can't be discarded.

Those histories forge a bond of friendship. And the social media friends? We are creating our own history and forging a different kind of friendship…

But to me – they are all friends!

Comments? Thank you!

01/26/2011