We can get creaky and cranky as we get older but the research says we also can become happier. I wrote about seniors being happier than the younger crowd and threw out a bunch of theories about why this takes place in an article. I for one am unable to arrive at a single reason why because there are so many extenuating circumstances.

For example, if a sense of humor is part of your genetic makeup is it likely that you will be happier as you age than someone show has no sense of humor at all? What happens when you get sick or your spouse becomes ill or one of your grandchildren has a major health problems? It seems to me that the circumstances of life have a huge impact on happiness.

What is interesting is that as we age we tend to remember events as less unpleasant than we did when we were younger.
Older people tend to recall unpleasant emotions as less intense and reappraise memories in a better light. Even when asked to recall a bad incident, seniors are more likely to mention positive aspects together with the negative.

The research says that the better educated you are the more happy you will be. I am not sure about this one either because sometimes the more you know about the world, the worse it appears – wars, floods, ego politics, and greed. I do, however, agree with the researchers when they say money cannot buy happiness. By the same token, if I am happy having dinner at a deli, how much happier could I be having dinner at a place for steak? I also agree that staying connected socially is important which explains why women tend to be happier than men who are more likely to be isolated especially after they retire.

Some researchers also say you can increase your long term happiness by focusing on intentional activities, the ones you choose to engage in such as learning a new language, or playing bridge, or volunteering at a hospital.

So where are you in the scheme of things? Are you 70 and happier than you were at 60? I would love to have your opinion on this topic.

To your healthy aging.

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Copywriter

Business Writer

Your  anti- aging plan is a holistic approach including the internal and external components of your body together with those elements which make up your mind and spirit. I am always continuing my conversation about the importance of consuming the right food because it is food that fuels our body and our minds or souls. All our parts need to work well, mental and physical, if we are serious about living an anti aging program.

Eliminating junk food is a good tenet for your anti aging program. These are foods that are highly processed, or have ingredients you do not recognize or cannot pronounce. You also do not want foods that contain too much sugar, foods that are factory produced and foods that contain pesticides and chemicals.

Another tactic to your anti aging program is to avoid overeating. Limiting or reducing your caloric intake has been shown to have major anti aging benefits. Scientists believe that most of the aging in your body is the result of the oxidation process and the free radicals which are then created by the body. Eating too much food at meals can make your digestion less efficient. The problem is a less efficient digestive process usually means too much oxidation and too many free radicals.

In other words, it is important  to  eliminate the foods which can accelerate the aging process. It is also important to be aware of the food chemicals and additives you also need to avoid chemicals and food additives.
Many of you know me well enough by now to realize that I do not believe there is a single pill, a one time routine or exercise, a 7 day diet, or a cosmetic surgery that will make you look younger and feel younger. Finding the fountain of youth is an extraordinary popular topic and we all look for the quick and easy route. Hyper ads for anti aging treatments and products are everywhere and people are earning millions off of these claims, all of which I admit to being very tempting. Every time someone comes up with an idea for a shiny new product that promises 10 or 15 years off your looks, the cash registers roar.

Do not get me wrong. I do believe that all of us can do things in our life to make us feel better and help us look better and if you want to replace the word younger for better you can do that too. However, I am convinced that it is a three pronged approach involving not only your external body, but also your internal physical wellness, and the well being of your mind and spirit.
Obviously I could talk about this project forever, but today and for my next couple of posts I will concentrate on those things you can do to establish your internal anti-aging program.

Your first objective is to eat whole foods

• These are foods that have not been processed and do not come in a box or a bag or a can. Eat as many whole foods in their raw state as possible. Raw carrots and raw peaches have more enzymes for helping your body repair itself then cooked carrots and peaches. You already know you are supposed to consume seven to nine servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Make them fresh fruits and vegetables. Combine that with whole grains and you will be putting more fiber in your diet which helps digestion and keeps you from feeling hungry all the time.

• Incorporate this eating habit into your lifestyle and you will have achieved your first step in your anti angina program. Keep in mind, this first step is something you continue to do for the rest of your life. After all, you are not getting any younger and you need all the help you can get.

Let me know how it is going.
To your successful anti aging program.
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Content Creator

Business Writing Online and Offline

There seems to be ongoing research proving the idea that thoughts and emotions have a powerful influence on our physical health. Research shows that the brain can release hormones and other chemicals that affect white blood cells and other parts of the immune system. Although the chemicals have other functions, they serve as a link between our thoughts and our ability to resist disease.

 
For instance, when you react to stress because of fear, your brain sends a danger message to your body. Hormones are released to raise blood pressure and prepare your muscles for quick action so you can fight or flee the danger. The stress hormones depress the disease-resistance system and over time, can damage the brain, your heart and your digestive tract.

 
We already know that thoughts can cause ulcers, indigestion, and high blood pressure. Thoughts can also depress the immune system which can lead to a variety of illnesses. Keep in mind that whether a person experiences poor health and how soon, also depends on that person’s heredity, environment, diet and behavior. Those are the unknown factors.

 
So what happens when you think positively?

 
I  read a story in the NY Times how a young family cut expenses to adjust to a cut in salaries: they stopped dance lessons, do their hair trimming at home, no yearly vaccines for pets, and shop at discount grocery stores.

 
Many, especially among the 50 and older crowd, are also cutting expenses except they’re taking chances with their health because of their money fears. They skip doctor’s appointments, taking a medication every other day instead of daily as prescribed, canceling their gym membership and exercising less, and eating more unhealthy foods which tend to cost less.

 
The American Heart Association says that more patients, (87 percent) were showing up with stress symptoms than before this recession. In a recent survey by the association, 57% reported the economy had affected their ability to take care of themselves.

 
The good news is you can cut down on expenses and stay healthy by learning to manage your stress and learning to manage it well.

 
First, stress has a direct impact on your immune system and this can make you sicker immediately. Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce your stress. You already know it’s good for your health: your weight, your bone density, your heart and vascular system. Even your brain works more efficiently when you exercise on a regular basis.

 
Now you need to make exercise an even greater priority because exercise can help you manage your stress.

 
You need to exercise 30 minutes a day whether or not you belong to a gym. Walk your neighborhood. Walk the mall; you will see more and more people doing this. Go to a high school or middle school and walk the track.

 
Push yourself away from your computer, away from the TV or video games, and ride a bike with your grand kids. Work in your garden for an hour. There are lots of things you can do without costing you money but you need to exercise.

 
Even if you are still working on your new business and you want to make it a success or your practice is still operating, I am betting that you are very stressed because you’ve seen the value of your retirement portfolios drop. You may want to reconsider the money you spend on a health club membership as not just money spent, but as an investment and commitment to your health.
Think about your priorities.

To your success at controlling stress.

Ruthan

Let me know what you think!

Ruthan Brodsky
Copywriter and Content Creator
Freelance Business Writer
Freelance Health writer

According to a January report from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, young adults ages 19 to 34 (mostly women) had more than 200,000 wrinkle-filling injections of Restylane last year compared to 23,000 in 2003. The number of Botox treatments also rose but not as much.

Dermatologist David Goldberg of New York, quoted in the March 20, 2008 article of U.S. News & World Report, says “Botox injections in the brow in particular are very popular among young women right now.” The Society doesn’t see any safety issues or downsides to the cosmetic procedure although the younger women might end up using the treatment for more years than the procedures have been around. (See archived post, Feb. 13, 2008).

Goldberg suggests that starting treatment at a young age may actually slow the aging process so that not as many treatments will be needed as they would if treatment began at middle age and beyond. Other experts have concern about the psychological implications of eliminating wrinkles on a face that has barely reached adulthood.

Virginia Sadock, professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, describes the seeking of eternal youth as the new ‘anorexia. “While it’s not going to kill you the way anorexia can, still, there are similarities in that this may, in some women, be representative of a distortion in self-perception, along with a striving for perfection that is both unnecessary and unrealistic.”

None of the 19-34 year old women I know have had Botox treatments. On second thought, I may be wrong. Women of that age look youthful to begin with so I may never notice the lack of wrinkles for someone in their twenties If you’ve had a Botox treatment or know someone who did at a young age what is your opinion on the topic?

I’d love to find out what you have to say about your treatment and your appearance. Scroll down to the blank window and start typing your story.

Much success with your aging

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Copywriter and Content Creator

Health Writer

Business Writer

We’ve been reading for months about the steroid enhancements used by athletes to build muscle and that it’s now illegal for baseball players to use human growth hormone (HGH). HGH may make muscles bigger but not necessarily stronger.

Interestingly, HGH has been touted as an anti-aging treatment since the early 1990s after a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that HGH, to some extent, reverses muscle loss and increased body fat both of which take place as we age. At the same time, younger people take HGH with anabolic steroids to improve their body’s appearance. According to an article in the January issue of Harvard Health Advisor, HGH does have legitimate medical uses but it’s not the fountain of youth.

HGH is a hormone made by the pituitary gland. Following adolescent growth spurts, HGH levels decline steadily when growth ends. Recombinant genetic techniques now make it possible to splice the genes that churn out the hormone, but treatments are expensive costing a least $1000 a month. Because the body breaks down HGH during digestion, it must be injected.

The problem is there are no data about possible side effects from long-term use. Short-term studies have identified some side effects such as soft-tissue swelling, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and increases in blood sugar levels. Although research hasn’t proven HGH causes cancer, there’s enough evidence to suggest a link.

It seems to me that the money spent for HGH could be spent better somewhere else – hiring a personal trainer to help you reach your goals of looking healthy because you’re in good shape.

I know HGH is also available as a nutritional supplement over-the-counter. Do any of you have information on that approach for the hormone? Is it completely worthless because it’s something you swallow rather than inject? Type your comments in the window and tell us what you know.

Warm Regards,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Health Writer

Copywriter and Business Writer

I was casually reading Golf Digest this morning and near the back I saw a  2-page ad plus a pull out card for the product ‘Men Touch of Gray’. It’s a hair coloring product.

The pull-out card offered a refund for proofs of purchase but more importantly on the back of the card, in bold large fonts the message: “Best News for Boomers Since The Birth Control Pill.” These guys know their market!

An April article in USA Today headlined their story as “Men arm themselves with anti-aging weapons.”

Men’s personal care and anti aging products are an exciting trend and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. According to Laura Petrecca of  USA Today, anti aging products accounted for 20% of the estimated $46 million in male skin care sales.

The targets for the men’s anti aging market vary – just as the market does for women. There are products for the upscale, wealthier male population and products for the average baby boomer. Interestingly, a third of men 18 to 59 say it is “very or extremely acceptable” to use anti-aging products according to a poll recently released by Men’s Health magazine.

What’s intriguing for me is the language marketers use to appeal to men: the verbs are a lot more active. Verbs such as “fight” and “defend” instead of adjectives such as active  and powerfu”
Apparently men are beginning to realize that looking good, i.e. looking younger, gives them a competitive advantage. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons there was a 215% increase in men getting Botox injections and a 96% rise in laser skin resurfacing for men from 2000 to 2007.

I wonder if men gossip about who is using what anti aging tool.
To your successful aging, man or woman!
Ruthan Brodsky

Ruthan Brodsky
Business Writer
Copywriter

Health Writer

You’re looking good! Your face has just enough color from gardening or golfing, you only gained a couple of pounds over the winter, you’re standing tall, you like what you’re doing and you like who’s looking back at you in the mirror. Not bad for someone who is …years old.
Then you look at your hands. They’re not keeping up with the image you want.
My dad use to say, if you want to tell a woman’s age, look at her hands first, then elbows and then knees.

Age spots, loss of fat, prominent veins, texture changes all contribute to make the hands look older. The good news is that if you have the money, plastic surgeons have solutions to make your hands look younger. In fact, many of the treatments are the same ones that refresh the face.

Topical treatments include tretinoin, the generic name of a class of drugs that include Retin-A, Renova, and Avita. Chemical peals can also improve the appearance of the skin on the hands.

Laser treatment also works. “Feathering” the effect of the laser near the wrist can reduce those lines that mark the wrist area.

Fillers used for the face wrinkles are not being used to restore the lost volume of fat in the hands that often comes with aging. Once injected, the dermatologist usually massages the hand to make sure the filler is distributed evenly.
If patients are happy with the fillers, some physicians use autologous fat injections (fat collected from your own body) which generally lasts longer than fillers.

To remove the large hand veins, laser ablation is used by some plastic surgeons as reported in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, June 2006.

The bad news is that all these treatments cost anywhere from $3000 to $5,000 for fillers and lasers and vein removing. Because the treatments aren’t permanent, you need to repeat the treatments to keep up the younger appearance. More money.Besides, not everyone is a candidate. People with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, hand tremors or Parkinson’s disease are disqualified.

Now and then I’ll put a skin lightening cream on my hands but usually give up once spring arrives in Michigan and I’m outdoors walking, gardening and playing golf. Actually, I give up because I’d be so busy putting on cream I wouldn’t have time for anything else. So I use lots of sun screen and slather it on my hands only to wipe it off so the golf club or tennis racket won’t slip out of my hand.

The sacrifices we make for playing sports!

Anyone have some great tips. I, for one, would like to know about them.
Sources: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, June 2006, December 2007.
WebMd, 2008

http://wwwmaycoclinic.com/health/wrinkles

To your successful aging,
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Copywriter & Content Marketer

Business Writer