Posts Tagged ‘Baby Boomers’

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Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Study Shows Friendship May Lengthen Life

Having friends certainly makes you feel good. Now studies are showing that they may in fact be good for you! According to a recent Australian study, there’s evidence that friends may actually help your life last longer.

The study, which was conducted by the Centre for Ageing Studies at Flinders University, followed about 1500 older people for 10 years and found that those with a large network of friends were outliving those with the fewest friends by 22 percent. By contrast, close relationships with children and relatives had almost no effect on longevity. Lynne C. Giles, one of the researchers, emphasized that family ties are important; they just seem to have little effect on longevity.

So why is this? Good friends are there to discourage you from unhealthy behavior, such as excessive drinking and smoking, and to encourage a healthy lifestyle by supporting you in activities such as following a balanced diet and exercising. The companionship they offer is also important in fighting stress, depression, and low self-esteem, Their emotional support can back you up in taking healthy risks such as going back to school for a degree in a new field, opening a business, or having children, all of which can vastly improve the quality of life and thus decrease overall stress.

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Natural Ways to Balance Your Hormones

Recently, I’ve begun talking about how important it is for women to maintain balanced hormones as they age. Hormones are essential to every cell in the body. When they’re out of balance, you yourself are out of balance!

Getting more sleep is the most effective way of naturally increasing growth hormones. Usually seven to eight hours of sleep is sufficient. Go to bed a little earlier or get up later by getting certain morning activities out of the way the night before, such as showering and packing your lunch before bed.

A diet change is also an effective way to change the balance of your hormones. Eliminate all artificial sweeteners, making sure to take fish oil and vitamins D, B and CoQ10 in your daily supplements, and avoiding foods that stress your adrenals such as alcohol and caffeine. As you age, you may also need to begin avoiding dairy and wheat products, as the body can becomes less able to process them, causing physical stress. I maintain a gluten-free diet and find that my hormonal levels have benefited from this diet change.

Exercise helps to stimulate the body’s production of hormones, making you feel better. Going for fast-paced walks for at least thirty minutes three times a week can make a big difference, especially if you’re usually sedentary.

It is becoming clearer with increased research that hormone levels have a lot to do with how a person feels physically, mentally, and emotionally. It’s also becoming clear that not regulating these hormones can have serious effects on your health and well-being. Try these natural remedies to bring balance to your hormones!

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Some Helpful Sleep Tips

     The National Sleep Foundation offers a few tips which I’ll pass along. First, make sure bedtime is a routine and relaxing affair; keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool. Make sure to exercise regularly, but make sure you don’t exercise in the evenings, as this can interfere with your ability to fall asleep. Next, avoid caffeine for at least eight hours and alcohol for a few hours before you go to sleep. You may not think your cola from dinner at five o’clock is disrupting your sleep at midnight; not only can it prevent you from falling asleep, but it can interrupt your sleep throughout the night. Finally, make your bedroom your bedroom, removing work, paperwork, computers, and the TV; by associating your bedroom only with sleep, you’ll find it much easier to get a good night’s sleep.

     I truly believe that the quality of your sleep determines the quality of your waking life. Just as you can’t afford to not eat right and exercise, it’s imperative to handle any sleep problems you may be having.  

 

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Date Your Spouse to Strengthen Your Marriage

Why is that couples report having the most fun with each other when they were dating? I strongly believe this is because when they’re dating, couples are constantly trying different activities together, putting time and effort into spending time together, and are generally creative about the relationship. Naturally, any relationship, marital or not, can get stale when you stop creating things to do together. You don’t necessarily have to plan a romantic island getaway. You can go out for ice cream, design a new kitchen together, or walk the dog together in the evenings and talk. If you were dating your spouse, what would you do with him? Ask yourself this question and go ahead and give it a try!

 

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

The Importance of Goals in Marriage

Make sure that you and your spouse have individual as well as common goals. Just as you personally can feel lost without knowing what your purpose is or having something worthwhile to pursue in life, so can your relationship suffer without goals to strive toward. Name your goals for how much money you’d like to retire with and vacations you’d like to take together, for example. In making these goals, your imagination is the limit!

 

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

Tips for Getting Started on a Regular Exercise Routine

First, remember that it’s never too late to start. No matter your age or your fitness level, you can get started now and soon see your work pay off. Remember, though, to check with your doctor before starting an exercise regime if you’re currently experiencing any health conditions such as high blood pressure.

Start off gently. In your first workouts, remember you’re a beginner and don’t overdo it. Start off by warming up and stretching every time you exercise, and gently cool off after each work out as well.

Find what works for you. What really gets you going? Do you like to go for a jog with the dogs and reflect upon your day, or do you prefer competitive games with others such as one-on-one basketball? There are a variety of ways to get exercise, and every woman is different—going to the gym, doing laps in your pool, or working out to DVDs. Discovering the ways you love to get active can be lots of fun.

Studies show that keeping variety in your exercise is the key to keeping your body challenged and keeping you interested in working out. How would you like to eat the same thing for dinner every night?  Exercise isn’t very different.

Make sure to have a high-protein snack of about 200 calories before your workout in order to stay energized, and drink water before, during, and after your workout. Taking your multi-vitamin and supplements such as calcium and magnesium will deliver to the body the nutrients it needs for exercise. A healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand.

With the above tips, soon you’ll be enjoying a regular exercise regimen just like I do—as well as the incredible benefits such as increased happiness, more energy, and improved self-esteem.

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

A Positive Attitude Can Strengthen Your Marriage

In order to keep your marriage strong, I recommend using a positive attitude in your relationship. Treating your spouse how you would like to be treated is generally the way to shape your attitude. Put a stop to blame and criticism and start paying attention to your partner’s good points and compliment these strengths. You will get more of what you support with positive remarks. You’ll often find a debate will go much more smoothly when you refrain from criticism and stay positive in how you approach the subject. For example, if you need to iron out a financial disagreement, begin by telling your partner that you know how hard he works to make money and or how skilled he is with managing finances. When he tells you his standpoint, make an effort to understand where he’s coming from and tell him that you see what he is saying. Maybe he’s right, after all. Just by being respectful and positive, you may find your spouse will be much more agreeable to compromising with you or will adopt your suggestion altogether.

Related to being more positive in the way you interact with your partner, be sure to adopt a positive frame of mind about your marriage in general. What is that you really love about your partner? It could be how hard he works at his business or even something like how he still gives you his pickle at lunchtime when you go out for sandwiches, showing his thoughtfulness and how well he knows you and your love for pickles. You’ll find that you’ll start seeing him doing right more often than before because you’ll be tuned to seeing his strong points.

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

Get Some Sleep!

      You know what a difference it makes when you’re well-rested. How much sleep you get can make or break your day and also your health. However, sometimes no matter how early you hit the hay, getting a restful sleep can be tough, especially as you age. There have been times when healthy sleep eluded me, but luckily I’ve learned a few things about how to get a healthy sleep naturally, and now I’m happy to say that it is rare that I don’t catch a solid night of peaceful sleep.

      About 70 million Americans experience sleep problems ranging from chronic sleep disorders to sporadic sleep troubles. Studies show that just one night of insufficient sleep can affect memory, productivity, and even the ability y to carry on a regular conversation. As a writer, researcher, and humanitarian, with several radio interviews a week, I can’t afford to not be at my mental peak, and chances are you can’t either. Long-term sleep deprivation can have serious effects such as higher risk for high blood pressure, depression, heart attack, decreased immunity, obesity, and diabetes. As you can see, getting enough sleep should be as much a part of your health regimen as eating well and exercising are!

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Low-Impact Cardio Exercises for Boomers

Boomers these days are looking to strengthen their heart with regular cardiovascular exercise while avoiding the wear and tear on joints that such exercise can cause. The answer is to look for low-impact exercise that works the heart while at the same time preserving your joints. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends 3-5 days of cardio for about 30-60 minutes. A regular routine of cardio exercise has many benefits, such as weight loss, stronger heart and lungs, increased bone density, reduced stress, and reduced risk of heart disease, some cancers, and depression and anxiety. It also boosts mood, reduces stress, improves the quality of sleep, and increases energy, among other advantages. With so many benefits, no wonder why so many boomers are getting into a regular routine of cardio exercise!

It’s important, however, to choose low-impact exercise which is gentler on the joints, especially if you suffer from arthritis. Low impact doesn’t mean low intensity, though. Low-impact exercise can be quite intense when you increase the energy in your moves. Luckily, there are a variety of low-impact choices available for boomers to choose from.

Tina Turbin

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Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

More Boomers Are Shopping Online

A trend that has taken off among baby boomers is foregoing malls and shopping centers in favor of online stores. In my busy work as an author, researcher, and humanitarian, as well as a mother, I find that shopping online is an invaluable, convenient tool in saving money and time and in obtaining hard-to-find items. You should give it a try as an alternative or addition to your regular shopping.

Tina Turbin

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