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Inspiring Opportunities Free E-Newsletter |
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After the murder of her son, Khaaliq, Dorothy took both her personal and professional experiences as a grief and loss counselor to guide others towards healing. She founded Mothers in Charge, an organization against violence in Philadelphia.
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Topic: Health
3 Ways to Improve Your Life
These three tips for happiness in 2012 were provided by Dan Bueller, the author of The Blue Zones. Check out his website for some interesting ideas.
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Volunteer for one new organization this month. Volunteers have lower health care costs and report higher levels of well-being.
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Make one new happy friend this month. Each new happy friend you add to your network increases your happiness by 15%.
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Get down to one TV screen in your home. Studies show that the happiest people are only watching about an hour of TV a day.
While you consider these suggestions, click here for the True Happiness Survey.
Goodbye Prozac, Hello Neighbor
If you want a drug-free way of lifting your depression, research suggests that if you do something nice for someone else, you will feel better about yourself and more positive about what is happening around you. The studies talk about "positive activity interventions" -- things like helping someone with groceries, writing a thank you note, or even counting your blessings -- that can lift your mood. Positive activity interventions come in a variety of forms, including: being kind to others, expressing gratitude, thinking optimistically, and meditating on the good things in life. I already feel better linking you to this article!
DPT Shots: Not Just for Kids
It seems that doting grandparents and those who are health care providers are being urged to get the T.D.A.P. vaccine, short for tetanus, diptheria and acellular pertussis, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is usually family members that pass these diseases on to very young children (under a year old), particularly pertussis (aka whooping cough) that effects people of any age. The cost of the vaccine is around $35 plus the cost of the injection and the only side effect is a sore arm.
I'll Take My Apple White
The old adage that an apple a day keeps the doctor away now has even more credibility as the results of a large Dutch study show that participants who ate one medium to large apple or pear a day have a lower risk for experiencing a stroke. This finding runs counter to the belief that the greatest benefit comes from eating fruits and vegetables that have rich colors, inside and out. The study was conducted over 10 years, with more than 20,000 men and women, ages 20-65, who were healthy and had no cardiovascular issues when they began the study. To learn more about this finding, click here.
Men and Assisted Living: Where's the Cigar Bar?
The situation is that your father needs to be moved to a rehab or an assisted living facility and your first impression of the places you visit are of potpourri and frilly curtains. Where do the guys meet to play poker or watch sports on TV? Is there a bar or pool table available? While it’s tough to find an institution that caters to all needs, it is clear that men, the minority in these places, are not always top of mind. And with increasing longevity for both genders, more men will be living in assisted living housing in the future. How can they be made more gender-friendly? Click here to read more.
Best Medicine: Time to Talk
The new federal health reform act is a real boon to doctors who want the time to learn more about what is going on with their older patients. This law provides Medicare patients free annual wellness visits and gives doctors 45 minutes to ask the patient probing questions about everyday life...what is their diet and exercise regimen? Do you know about smoking cessation program we offer? What other problems do you have? Before these visits were available, doctors would rush through 15-minute sick visits to learn a bit more about the patient's life. Hopefully more people will take advantage of this time to talk to a more relaxed doctor.
Talk About Inspiring!
This YouTube video makes you want to put your sneakers on, grab a few weights, and work as hard as you can to look like Ernestine Shepherd, the teacher. This extraordinarily fit 72-year-old with a shelf of trophies for bragging rights, runs 80 miles a week and teaches classes at the United Methodist Church in Baltimore for older women who try to follow her every step. Her can-do spirit, warmth, and encouragement make her students feel that they, too, can look and feel their best.
Bulking Up: An Ageless Phenomenon
We know that as we age, our muscle mass decreases at a pretty rapid rate. But, don't despair. New research published in the journal, Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise, reports that this loss can be turned around with a very doable weight lifting, muscle stretching regimen. This NPR article and video follows a 73-year-old woman with osteoporosis around the gym...and provides evidence that stretching muscles through resistance exercises not only builds strength, but improves balance, which helps prevent falls.
Age of Aquarius -- Circa 2010
This fun, but serious, guide to boomer health offers insights on generational concerns about aching body parts (knees, heels, hips, backs), overuse of drugs, colonoscopies, plastic surgery, emotional challenges, and lots more. While it feels like a daunting litany of ailing parts, the overall message is a positive one of finding ways to deal with aging through new activities (yoga, tai chi, fitness regimens) and medical breakthroughs to enhance the encore years.
Sign Me Up for the Twinkie Diet
A diet where fatty and sugary foods are fine, as long as you count calories and eat in moderation..."Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!" Dr. Mark Haub, a Kansas State University nutrition professor believes that moderation is the key to weight loss, not the specific foods you eat; to prove his theory, Haub lost 30 pounds in eight weeks eating whatever his sweet tooth desired. And also managed to lower his cholesterol level and body mass index. But, before trashing the fruits and vegetables, check out this CBS Healthwatch article.
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