If You Thought You Were Eating a Healthy Diet, Think Again! March 29, 2011

I recently attended a conference on breast cancer. It is the very first time I have ever heard a doctor frankly give a presentation on diet. She held no punches and did not couch her talk with soft suggestions we all know like; eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and less high fat foods and sweets for optimum good health. But here is the wake up comment; if you are not eating ORGANIC, FORGET ABOUT IT!

What?

Often commercial beef is raised with an estrogen pellet in the cow’s ear. This estrogen makes the cow grow fatter faster. This hormone is especially not good for most breast cancer patients or for that matter anyone. The estrogen makes its way through the meat to your table. No amount of cooking will destroy the added hormones also found in the milk cheese, butter and other dairy products. A similar process is done with pork, chicken and farm raised fish.

Fruits and vegetable are sprayed with pesticides and chemicals too. No amount of washing will remove the stuff. If it is not on top of the produce it is in the soil.

Here are the dirty dozen of produce that you really want to buy organic:

Peaches, pears, apples, cherries, strawberries, nectarines, bell peppers, celery, carrots, kale, lettuce and imported grapes.

The biggest complaint people have against buying organic is the cost. Have you really compared the costs of organic to conventional fruits and vegetables? I have seen organic on sale for less. My advice is to shop around. Costco and Trader Joe’s carry organic chicken, beef, pasta, fruits and vegetables. Many of Trader Joe’s dairy items say made with-out antibiotics or hormones.

CSA memberships are very popular. Farmers Markets are great for seasonal produce. You can ask the farmer how they grow their produce. Your own garden, lots of work produces lots of rewards. You will defeat the purpose if you use weed killer and such. You can ask your grocery store to special order organic items for you.

A healthy diet means healthy foods. Are you eating a healthy diet?

No One Gets Out Alive! March 22, 2011

 Here is the scenario:

                             Setting: A few friends over age 50 talking before their exercise class begins

Friend#1: Talks about an event she attended recently and the food and drink she ate with details

Friend #2: Asks questions about the event and the food

Friend #3: Mentions that Friend#1 sipped a high empty caloric beverage and some high caloric food

Collective eye roll by Friends #1 and#2.

Friend #3 misses the eye roll because she is righteous in her health, diet and determination not to age!

We all have met and know Friend#3 and maybe we have even been her/him at one time. Sooner or later we get the news flash, the realization that there is no cure for getting old and no one gets out alive.

“I am forever young fashion” is visible daily on TV. It is the middle of winter in NYC and Kathy Lee and Hoda are in sleeveless dresses. Wearing sleeveless is now the way to show that you are still young. No underarm flop must mean you are not aging at all! Dress hemlines have crept up above the knee and now women are having, I kid you not, knee lifts. Knee lifts because the skin around the knee is old and drooping. It is gravity. A pair of hose would smooth things out but no one but the truly elderly wear visible hose below their knees.

Men aren’t excluded from the “I am forever young fashion” frenzy. What about Simone Cowell’s tight T-shirt or adorable Anderson Cooper’s T-shirt?

60 is not the new 40. 55 is not the new 35. If a 35 or 40 year old says “Wow, you look great” what they are really saying is Wow, you look great for someone your age not their age! Ask a 20 something year old if they think the new 60 is 40 and they will give you that placating look reserved for the very old and senile!

Are you aging gracefully or holding on for dear life?

Bra Business Boom is Barometer to a Better Economy March 14, 2011

Lingerie and bras in particular are showing an increase in sales according to marketing retail experts. Victoria Secret branded the lingerie market to the masses. Consumers love the pink shopping bags and the stores and flock to their sales. Victoria Secret let out the secret that sexy can readily be yours at the mall. Victoria Secret made the underwire bra a fashion basic.

One of Oprah’s most talked of shows was when she did bra fitting and it was revealed that most women are not wearing their correct bra size. Victoria Secret, Nordstrom, and Macy’s were inundated with women wanting to be fitted for their correct bra size. Other shows yearly do a bra fitting episode. Many bra companies and stores encourage fittings with a donation to Komen for the Cure.

Sizing for bras has hit the vanity sizing market as well. Padded and soft sculptured, every woman is at least a size B now. Her breasts may say ‘A’ but the bra with its molded cups is a ‘B’.

Smaller companies and entrepreneurs have noticed this uptick in bra sales and popularity. Designers have gone from the fragrance aisle to the bra aisle to get on board the bra sales band wagon. The colors, trim, fabric and details popular on bras is every designers dream.

Walls are lined with bras for sale in department stores and mass merchants. Where 5 years ago 8 feet would be devoted to bras on hangers, now it is 20 feet. Department stores and smaller stores want a piece of the bra market. Even boutiques are stocking “Fashion Bras”. These are bras that are worn to be visible. They are worn under an open sweater or sheer blouse, or a deep V-neck dress.

Have you updated your bra wardrobe recently?

What would you do with a $ Windfall? March 7, 2011

Every one sooner or later has fantasized about winning the lottery or some distant relative leaving you a fortune. Have you taken that fantasy any further to practicality? I know of some people who have thought the fantasy through very carefully depending on the sum. A margarita fueled fantasy gab fest is really fun, but haven’t we all read about the misery that some lottery winners endure? Haven’t we all watched Lost and felt the pain of Hurley?

What if your unexpected windfall was from someone very dear and near to you and you wanted to honor that person? I think this is a whole new concept from the fantasy or lottery winnings. Would it change your financial plans on giving and spending?

Jill Ginsberg received a windfall from her Mother when she died unexpectedly. Her Mother happened to be a Holocaust survivor. Jill calls herself a cheapskate, but in reality she is like most of us, working, saving, and spending with-in our means. The dilemma that presented Jill was how to honor her Mother with this money. Hundreds of hundreds was born. http://www.hundredsofhundreds.com

Jill started in October, 2010 giving $100.00 every day for the month. Reading her daily blog is heartwarming and I recommend a hankie! Jill’s daily blog about the people and her thoughts are wonderful. I think it is the best daily blog I ever read!

Here is a quote from Jill:

“When I got this unexpected gift, I wanted to do something different, to make a difference for others and also for myself. My family and I have given charitably for years and will continue to do so. There are lots of wonderful organizations out there and we support some every year (I even started a non-profit). So, it’s not like I don’t believe in the power of organizations to make change.
Giving the money away $100 at a time to strangers was pretty much the craziest thing I could think of; it went against everything we’ve practiced as “strategic philanthropists” but there was something about it that seemed like a great challenge.”

Here are the rules Jill uses for her gifting:

• The recipient is a stranger, and someone I am not likely to see again

• I must have a conversation with the recipient (ie can’t just leave a big tip)

• I can’t venture away from my routine in search of a recipient

• The gift is not in response to a request (in person, writing, etc)

Jill has started giving $100 bills away again. What a great legacy for her Mother and for Jill Ginsberg!

Could you do what Jill is doing? Reading her blog she discusses what her thought patterns are and her impressions. Like much of life it seems easy enough until you actually try to do it and the challenges become perfectly clear. I am in awe of Jill and asked her permission to blog about her mission. She of course said “of course”!

Listening To Books March 1, 2011

Anyone listen to books while you drive, walk, run, bike, garden, work out or clean house? Do you download to your own devise or just put in the CD? Do you use your library or a private renting service?

 

Recently I have considered the download route and need advice: the pros and cons. What devise do you use? Which ones really don’t skip? Which ones can easily be turned off right where you want to resume? Which ones are easy to accept downloads?

One of the side effects of menopause can be insomnia. Reading or listening to books is quiet and can even be helpful to lull you back to sleep. Stresses of the day can all be forgotten by the immersion into a good book. Irritability can be another delightful side effect of menopause. If you use public transportation, listening to books is a great way to not hear the beat from another rider. It is a wonderful way to calm and involve you so you don’t thump the seat hog on the side of his/her head to move over!

My library has a feature on line where not only can you request books on CD, but you can add them to your list. So..You may ask? If you are an avid reader sometimes you forget that you have already read or listened to the book. This feature helps. Forgetfulness and menopause are partners in the brain. Nothing irritates me more than a long drive in traffic and thinking I have a book to listen to and find out I have all ready read it!

I have been listening to audio books for years. I love when the author reads his or her own book. That is a special treat. I don’t want to get into the discussion if listening really counts as reading, because it does! What I really would like is comments on the investment and rewards of a new devise.