The Top 100 Best Wellness Blogs for Women

Masters in Health Care included this blog on their list of 100 Best Wellness Blogs for Women. It's #87 on this site and in the category of Fit and Healthy After a Certain Age.

Although I giggle at the concept of "after a certain age" I am grateful for this honor.

Aging and Homelessness

I was chatting with a neighbor the other day about wine - when she just blurted out that she had met with her financial advisor last week and was told in no uncertain terms that she could not retire next year as she had planned on.... Her retirement fund had taken that big a nosedive!

She likes her job so she was not all that unhappy – but she been looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren – and now her retirement is being put off until who-knows-when...

But as least she has a job and a retirement fund that may eventually creep back up into something akin to an amount to retire on.

Unfortunately for others the unemployment rate is at a record high, more stores are shuttering, more homeless are on the streets or in their old cars [including many more of the older generations – people like you and me.]

We used to respect our elders and take care of them. When did we lose that focus?

At some point in the last 30 or so years we became a me-first and a me-only culture and it’s now become apparent that the me-first/only greedy persons have devastated the world’s economy – of course while saving themselves.

It’s sad to see and read about people in their 70’s and 80’s living in cars. I love camping out – but that’s because I know I can get home and take a warm shower and eat warm food at the end of some stretch of time. I even lived in my VW van while driving to Alaska and back from the East coast – but again - I knew I had someplace to return to after 4 or more months of living in that vehicle --- and --- I was in my 30’s!

I can’t imagine doing that now for any long stretch of time – my body would be very unhappy -- and I expect those who are doing this hurt. Cars are not comfortable beds.

We again need to respect our elders and care for them – not leave then out in the streets.

Soon I will post about how our obsession with youthful looks and youthful people may be harmful.

Comments?

More thoughts on: 69 going on 70.....

I had a birthday almost 3 weeks ago and am still contemplating what this particular age means and why it feels so funny.

Just turned 69 and the day itself was a non-event - except that now, in a 3 week retrospective, it’s made me moody and I have not been particularly sociable since the birthday.

Being introspective – a bit too much at times – I finally figured it was the “being-close-to-70” that was getting to me. I never thought of myself at 70 and what it would be like and now here I almost am THAT! youch!

One of my best friends said she did not feel old til she was 75 so I still had 6 years to go on that but I told her I already felt the oncoming of “old.” There is some oddness to 70 that I still need to think about because it is interfering with my being and enjoying 69.

19, 29, 39, 49, 59 did not have the same “feel” to them – 29 was sort of odd as it was the heyday of “don’t trust anyone over 30” and there I was – turning 30 – and in Berkeley California to boot. At 39 I had a baby to take care of; at 49, I was in law school; and at 59 I was happy to be turning 60 at the same time as the new millennium! [By the way – do you remember all those Y2K fears?]

So here I am at 69 – an age with nothing really special about it for me as with the other “end-in-9-ages” – except that I am still alive, healthy and enjoying what I am doing – that’s special - but there is still that nag...

I look in a mirror and alternate between laughing and getting depressed. Me? Going on 70? How did that ever happen? How did I manage to get so old when I do not feel like I am 70. How did the years go by so fast without my doing all those things I always wanted to do? I stare at the mirror and see “old.” I am old in a chronological sense yet I also feel as if I have many more years to go before I really slow down.

My son laughs with or at me – reminds me that yes 69 years have passed since I was born – just like he reminded me on his last birthday that yes 30 years had had passed since he was born..

He must be lying - I still recall that newborn baby as if it were yesterday and I also recall times in my 20’s and 30’s as if they were yesterday – so maybe it is all a fantasy – I am not really 69 – because I can not really be going on 70 :D

69 going on 70

I've been mulling over the meaning of being 69 and I will post my thoughts as soon as I have finished thinking them.

In the interim - post comments or pose some questions about what it means to be some particular age[s]...

Exercise and Age

I've had the same conversation with several friends of late - about age and exercise. It seems we all have the same ideas.

Not sure why each of us is thinking of this now as we are slightly different ages [but over 60], live in different parts of the country and some do not know each other - and I did not start all the conversations. It must be zeitgeist or "something in the air."

Each of us had been thinking that as we are aging, we feel the need to not do such strenuous activities as we had been doing, or doing them fewer days per week, or taking time off from exercising and just not doing anything strenuous. It's not that we can't do the strenuous activities - we can. We also know they are probably very good for our health. But most of us still work and find that after the strenuous workouts, we can't just go to work but instead need a recovery period that is longer than we used to need.

Most of us said that this made us sad and a bit angry - we still like to think we can keep on going like we did in our 20's or 30's - but our bodies say NO! There is no way to turn back the clock - we are aging.....but we are trying to figure this out as we go.

When I was in graduate school, or soon after, a psychologist I knew said that psychology would not get into really studying aging until we psychologists ourselves got older - and that is what seems to have happened.

I am wondering if the interplay of aging and exercise is also something that we aging used-to-be-more-strenuous-athletic types are/will be the models for?

In chatting with my son about this - he suggested a few things - really vary what I am doing for exercise and starting a "club" for those of us who are older - can't keep up with the "kids" but are able to do lots more than the programs for "older" people.

Any thoughts?

The birthday came [and went]

I just had my 68th birthday - and had a birthday party too. I was so glad I decided to change thoughts about doing a party.

Friends and neighbors came - many bearing food and wine [learned here that asking people not to bring anything falls on deaf ears] so we ate and ate and had some good wines and many deserts. This morning I found some deserts that had gotten placed in safe spots and never made it to the table...Safe is needed as my dog's mouth reaches all surfaces and even so - he helped himself to some food that got too near the edge of the table : o ) [and given the chewed wine corks I guess he tried those as well]

So for someone who dislikes her own birthday parties it was worth doing. I felt very lucky not only to be alive but to be surrounded by such neat caring people. Guess I'll have to plan parties for a few more years to come as the candles were a 6 and an 8 - and someone suggested that I can re-use them for my 86th!

So here's to that 86th birthday party!

New thoughts on bithdays

After my 65th birthday I decided to not celebrate my birthdays unless they ended with a 5 or a 0 - but my thinking has now changed.

With the recent deaths of two friends, one who never reached 65 and the never reaching 75, I decided that life is too good a thing to miss a chance to celebrate any and all ages.

So - starting in 2008 - I am going to throw myself a birthday bash every year. My day is in January and it's usually pretty dreary where ever I have lived - so I'll make it cheery and colorful with decorations and pretty food.

Here's a question, and some variants, to ponder

What is old age? Or - when does old age start? Or even this: Is there really such a "thing" as old age?

I have taught life span development many times over the decades and it's a question that came up [and comes] up in college classes and now it's popping up among other populations - even among those who might be considered to be "in" their old age.

I have heard many 20-somethings talk about "those poor senior citizens" who collect social security. The "seniors" are often described as infirm, unable to work and otherwise to be pitied. These same 20-somethings most likely come into contact with those over 65 - who are still working, still active and hardly pitiable...but the 20-somethings do not see those over-65ers as being over 65.

So when are you old? Is it an age determination? or is it something else?

When I was a "young kid" a few years removed from graduate school - many of the local psychology professors were beginning to think and write about aging but few had really started studying it. One such psychologist jokingly said that only when we all got older would psychologists start really understanding older ages. I think she was right.

Studying older and aging populations is relatively new...and defining old age keeps changing...

Me? I hate the term "old age." It has no real meaning. We do not speak of childhood as "new age" or junior - so why label some as old age or senior? I much prefer "old fart" - it stops people in their tracks - annoys some and makes many laugh... I ask for my old fart discount when I go to a particular store on what I call old fart Wednesdays - when we old farts get a 10% discount.

Back to standard time

I'm not sure why this year is so different for me - the change of time was only a week different from what is used to be but my body is more mixed up. I sleep okay and wake up okay but I'm hungry at odd times...and I am tired earlier.

I could see if my stomach was off by an hour - but it's way off...like I had supper at 3 PM today. I assume the tiredness is related to the dark so I try to get as much sunlight as possible during the day [and it's great that we have not had the usual Portland cloudy drizzly days.]

And soon will come the stretch of time when it is still dark out at 7:50AM. That shocked me when I first moved out here. It's just an odd sensation to have that drastic a change from what I was used to on the East coast...

Wonder how much of this might be related to aging? Exercising more? Different climate? It's hard to separate out all the variables as I changed so many in the same time frame....

Talking about weight

I have had people in my office this week - doing the diet assessment I have mentioned here. Easy for them as they live near my office - but it is doable on the phone!

Why do I keep harping on weight? Because no matter how otherwise healthy you think you are - you are at risk if you are overweight - and if you already have some health issues - being overweight worsens them.

Besides we have become an overweight culture...the kids as well as the grown ups. We no longer eat good food and we eat too much of the food we do have. Our food is less nutritious and the additives are making us fat!

I just read that the newer bigger foods - the bigger tomatoes etc. are less nutritious

A report issued this week examined several recent studies by food scientists, nutritionists, growers and
plant breeders. It found clear evidence that as the produce we eat gets larger, its vitamins, minerals and
beneficial chemical compounds significantly diminish, as do taste and aroma.
Growing bigger tomatoes and ears of corn leads to a bigger yield for the producer, but the trade-off is
the lower nutritional value.

Full article HERE

So in our rush to produce more food per acre - we are worsening the nutritional value of the food produced.

But if you have read some of my earlier posts, the soil is so depleted today that even without the super sized produce - the food is less nutritious than it was when we were kids.

So what do we do?

We need to supplement our diets, eat less but of the right foods for our metabolism and exercise more!

Not an easy path for many - but it leads to a good place////

more info? see on the right hand column

Weather

It think it was Mark Twain who said about weather "wait a minute and it will change."

Anyway - here's to that minute - no matter where you live....

This winter is odd - not having been in Portland for many winters, I am finding that cold when you live in a floating home is COLD COLD COLD...Not only do we not have basements, we have a river running under our floors..and heat rises - so you can guess what the floors feel like. I bought tent booties for this current arctic flow - figured if a booty as made for walking around a tent and campground, it would work for a floating home....Ahhhh my feet are finally happy.....

Not sure if my feeling cold is due to age, house or what - but I felt coder this past week than when it was 25 below back East...and that was before taking wind chill into effect. But being one to deny the age factor - I am sure it's the floor : - )

And in other parts of the USA/ and other countries, the weather has been worse than it is here - so let's hurry that minute up so we get back to "normal" - whatever that is in these days of climate change...

One week into January

Are you still resolute?

Did you make goals for the year?

There are some [usually younger] who would wonder why we "old" people make resolutions or goals. I always remember a Lifespan class I taught many years ago in Boston. It was within a university unit which allowed those over 65 to take classes for free and my class included a man who had retired to Boston. [That alone seemed odd to many of the younger members of the class.]

One of our projects consisted of students interviewing people of different ages on topics such as work, family, future plans and death. Some of the younger members of the class were very uncomfortable with the idea of asking people in their 60's, 70's or older about a future or death. The 65-year-old man thought that was interesting. He told them that most his age would have no trouble answering those questions.

"After all," he added, "some of you will die long before I do." A long silence ensued and then we had a very lively discussion of life expectancy, risk taking and health...I still remember that particular class and I am guessing most in the class do as well.

We who are now older don't mind discussing the future or our own plans and goals for it. Who knows how long we will live...but no matter how long it is - we need goals and plans. I have written mine - I have serious income producing plans for my business for this and future years..




Excelsior! [ I am a native New Yorker :)]