Thrive to 105

I’m going to get on a little soapbox this morning and tout the efforts of one of my favorite environmental organizations, The Nature Conservancy.  I’ve been a supporter of theirs for years.  What I like about this organization is that they actually purchase the land that they are trying to conserve so they can have decision-making rights over it.

This morning I was reading my Summer 2010 issue of their magazine and learned about some of the great (in my opinion) projects they’re taking on.

Asian Carp Invasion – Sounds ominous, doesn’t it?  Well, actually, it could be serious for the fishing industry based in the Great Lakes Region of the U.S.  Asian Carp were imported here at one time to clean up algae in catfish ponds in the South.  Unfortunately, floods enabled them to escape into the Mississippi River system.  Now that they’ve made their way upriver, scientists worry they will starve the fish native to the Great Lakes and change the ecology.  Almost a decade ago, an electric barrier was placed on the canal between the Mississippi River Basin and Lake Michigan.  Last year, however, the Nature Conservancy’s “Great Lakes aquatic invasive species director (gotta love it!) found DNA of Asian Carp in several places beyond the barrier.  Of course, they are now trying to coordinate doing whatever it is they need to do to prevent an all out, full-scale “invasion”.

Zion National Park Easements – in Utah The Nature Conservancy has designated a total of 2,700 acres as conservation easements on ranches that are above Zion National Park in order to restrict development in these areas, thereby maintaining habitats that are of utmost importance to wildlife, such as cougars, elk, black bears, etc.

Penobscot River Dams – Truly amazing is the work they’ve done with the Penobscot tribe in Maine, along with other organizations, forming the Penobscot River Restoration Trust.  The long-time goal of the Penobscot Tribe has been to realize the fishing rights promised by treaties that have been in existence for centuries.  Through the collective efforts of not only The Nature Conservancy, but also such organizations as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they have been able to purchase dams along the Penobscot’s watershed from Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL) in order to tear them down, opening up 100 miles of the river in the “main stem” (and tributaries where the fish can spawn) to Atlantic Salmon, American shad, as well as up to 11 other species.  Really fantastic!  I love reading stories like this that are helping people and our environment.  So much goes on around us that we are just never aware of, yet the ways in which lives are impacted are tremendous!

Alright, I’ll get off my soapbox now; but if you want to support an environmental group that does a lot of great “stuff”, consider The Nature Conservancy!  

Now on to other Information Junk!

• You know those coin-counting machines you see in the grocery stores?  I tend to avoid them, because they charge a percentage of your money to count it for you!  What I didn’t know is that you can put the amount of your change into a gift card, in which case you can get the full value of your coins!  The retail businesses involved include:  Amazon, iTunes, Lowe’s, Old Navy, and Starbucks!

• Look out for health insurance scammers!  Why am I not surprised!?  It’s sad that there are so many people out there willing to prey on others in order to make a buck!  Anyway…some are going door-to-door identifying themselves as federal employees offering to sign you up and getting credit card numbers or bank accounts.  Some of them, of course, are working through telemarketing and e-mail.  So if you are health insurance poor (as I am), don’t be scammed!  Keep your guard up and your wallets closed!

• Here’s a bit of information that I found important:  If you’ve survived breast cancer, you should watch your intake of alcohol.  If you average three or more drinks each week, your chances of having a recurrence of your breast cancer increase by 34%.  It also increases the likelihood of dying from the cancer by 51%!!!  These findings could make a teetotaler out of me!

• Last, but certainly not least, if you’re a cat or dog lover, be aware that lilies are toxic for cats (Tiger, Easter, stargazers, etc.), causing kidney failure and possibly death for a kitten.  Also, your dog can actually get poison ivy…on his tummy…because there isn’t usually enough fur there to provide a buffer from the plant oil.  Wash him right away with soap and water if you think he’s been exposed.

That’s it for this Wednesday’s Information Junkie!  I realize I got a little verbose today, but there’s just so much great “junk” out there…it’s hard to stop sometimes!

As we’ve seen so far, the Silver Gate of Wisdom is where we find a renewal and regeneration of our spirits and passions; we begin to really SEE things now, gaining insights and understanding we’ve never had before in our every day experiences.  These are the Gifts of this gate presented to us by the Four Fires…vision, heart, creativity, and soul.

Another part of the Gift is recognizing grace:

Recognizing grace in our lives is a blessing that comes from the curiosity, hope, flexibility, meaning, and gratitude that we regain at this gate.

In order to get a better handle on how this renewal and stirred up passion can lead us to discover knowledge about ourselves we may have never learned or have forgotten, Reflection is the order of the day at this point.  You’ll find below a few of the reflective questions you’re charged with pondering .  Notice I say “ponder”; that means “to weigh carefully in your mind” or meditate on.  It doesn’t mean we have to have all the answers within a finite amount of time.  Look out your window, take a walk, listen to some music…and reflect…ponder.  See what fresh wisdom comes to you.  You’re almost through this gate and the wisdom and renewed passion you gain here will be carried with you to the next.

This week, reflect on the following (taken from The Second Half of Life, Angeles Arrien):

• What generates meaning, hope, inspiration, and curiosity for you?
• Where do you experience symptoms of soul loss:  inertia, apathy, emptiness, numbness, confusion, futility, discontent, anxiety?
• What private longings and callings have you repeatedly dismissed?  What has prevented you from acting upon them?
• How do you renew and regenerate yourself?
• Where do you experience the spirit of fluency in your life and where are you willing to live “Like a river flows/Carried by the surprise/Of its own unfolding?

I would guess that some of the answers and insights we gain from this reflective time will be surprising; perhaps some will be disappointing.  Hopefully, many will provide us fresh fuel with which to stoke our four fires and light our way to the next gate!

Oh, and, by the way…have you started making your list of things you want to do for the year following your birthday that you’ve never done before?  I have!  I think I have three things so far.  It’s kind of  challenging.  Let me know what you come up with…I may want to copy you or maybe we can do it together!!!

I was struggling this morning with what to write about in regards to longevity.  I have some great information that is extremely intriguing, but so much of it is very technical and difficult to understand, let alone write about for others.  I’ll have to work on that for later posts.  My brain just wasn’t up to the task today.

In doing further research, I came across an article about three vegetables we should add to our diets to promote longevity.  Apparently, they’re frequently eaten in the “Blue Zones”.  In case you’re not familiar with the “Blue Zones”, they’re the areas in the world where people live the longest.

Since my diagnosis and my changes in eating habits, I’ve definitely increased my intake of vegetables.  Unfortunately, I’m not extremely adventurous when it comes to eating new things; so I tend to eat the things I’m familiar with…and I tend to eat them day in and day out!  Salads made with spinach, arugala, and mixed greens, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, and my very favorite…orange and red bell peppers!  I was pleased to find that one of my other favorite veggies IS on the list of these three longevity-boosting food items…SWEET POTATOES!  In fact, I just had one for dinner last night!

Well…on to the short list and a description of each, including why they’re good for you.

Sweet Potatoes

Since I’ve already mentioned my favorite, let’s talk about sweet potatoes first.  Personally, I eat mine baked with absolutely nothing on them; I think they’re plenty sweet on their own without adding butter, brown sugar, cinnamon or whatever else restaurants throw on them.  Sweet potatoes contain plentiful beta carotene, vitamins C and B, iron and phosphorous.

According to the article I read, sweet potatoes have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.  It was suggested that, if you suffer from arthritis, you can use the water leftover from boiling them (and eating them, of course) to help ease painful joints!  Just rub some on!  Who knew!?!?

They’re also supposed to be good for digestion, being high in fiber and magnesium.  Because they contain vitamins B, C, beta carotene, calcium, and potassium, sweet potatoes can also help to heal stomach ulcers.  The beta carotene also places them on the list of “contenders” for staving off various cancers (colon, intestinal, prostate and kidneys).

A quick, easy, recipe on a video with the article was for sweet potato fries.  Put two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a zip lock bag with garlic salt, thyme, and ground black paper.  Cut up your sweet potatoes and drop them in the baggie…SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE; SHAKE YOUR B..oops, sorry, I was back in the 70s there for a moment.  Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Easy…yummy!

Kale

I admit I have heard recommendations over and over again for including kale in my diet, yet I’ve never tried it.  As recently as last Friday, I had a new acquaintance tell me she puts it in a smoothie each morning…which is a good way, apparently, to not have to taste it…LOL!  I did learn from watching a short YouTube video that in the winter months it tends to be sweeter.  As a rule, it is a little bitter and peppery tasting.

The thing you can’t get around is how much nutrition is packed in this greenery:  vitamins A, K, and C, calcium, lutein, and iron.  In fact, it has ten times more lutein and seven times the beta carotene than is contained in broccoli.  Also, one cup of kale has one-third of the calcium as a cup of milk…which we shouldn’t be drinking anyway!

The carotenoids (lutein and zeaxathin) in kale may help protect against cataracts by protecting our eyes from UV ray damage.

We all know the benefits of calcium and beta carotene.  What I didn’t realize about kale is that its sulfur content promotes enzyme production in the liver, aiding in detoxification of chemicals that may cause cancer.  Now it’s got my attention!!

Jicama

This tuber vegetable sounds like something that may be right up my alley!  According to the article (and YouTube video I watched) it can be eaten raw or cooked, alone, in salads or with other vegetables.  The video described it as a little like an apple, but not as sweet; the consistency of a water chestnut.  It’s low cal (less than 50 calories per cup).

Jicama is rich in folic acid and beta carotene, which helps to lower homocysteine levels (an amino acid that contributes to an increased risk of heart disease).  It can also help you fight off those pesky colds, because of its high content of vitamin C.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of excited about something new to try.  Probably more about the jicama than the kale, but I’m not ruling it out!  I may wait until I get a juicer, though!  Let me know if you try any of these tasty treats, how you prepared them, and what you think.

THRIVE TO 105!!

INFORMATION JUNKIE DAY!!! I could spend the whole day pouring over periodicals and newsletters for “stuff” to share; but since I don’t have all day, I better get focused and get to the task at hand!

From Prevention, May 2010:

If you walk for exercise and want to burn more calories, take your dog instead of your best friend (unless, of course, your dog IS your best friend)!  According to researchers at the University of Missouri, walking with a dog can increase your speed by 28% and your calorie burn by up to 30%.  The other plus is that Fido is usually much more excited than that friend who willingly agrees with you when you want to shorten the route!

What kind of movies and TV shows do you watch?  Well, if you like comedies and you actually allow yourself to chuckle or laugh out loud, you could be improving your blood flow by 21%!  At the University of Texas in Austin, a study showed that “chuckling” while watching a show improved blood vessel dilation for up to 24 hours by one-fifth; whereas, watching documentaries or serious shows actually restricted blood vessels by 18%.  I guess that means if I watch Criminal Minds, followed by Modern Family, I should end up with a net 3% improvement!

From AARP Bulletin, May 2010:

If you’re looking for an idea for a vacation excursion, check out the over 500 tours across the United States that can be taken of manufacturing facilities at www.factorytoursusa.com.  Since I live in Missouri and hail from New York, I searched to see what I might find:  Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Purina, Hallmark, Harley Davidson Power Train, Herbaria Soaps, and Sierra Bullets (Missouri); Chelsea Modular Homes, Corning Museum of Glass, Herschell Carousel Factory, Madison Square Garden, NBC Studios, and the Original American Kazoo Company in New York, just to name a few. You can check out all 50 states on the site.

Be aware of the newest, rampant form of identity theft…your medical identity!  Information from medical records contains tons of valuable data, including social security numbers, insurance account numbers, addresses, etc.  Using this information, anyone can get health care using your identity, leaving you with the bill, not to mention having all the needed information for obtaining a passport in your name!  Be sure to keep an eye on letters and statements from your insurer, monitor your credit report (www.AnnualCreditReport.com) for billing errors, and keep a close eye on your insurance cards.

Last, but not least, From Living  Magazine (Martha Stewart), June 2010:

I don’t actually know how I ended up with this magazine.  It’s not really “me”, if you know what I mean; but I thought I’d take a look today.  A couple things I found were pretty cool…living more “green” is on my mind a lot (and others I know).  Both these items speak to this desire.  One is napkins and placemats that come on a roll…but they’re not paper, they’re cotton!  They are biodegradeable and recyclable and can be washed so you can use them again.  They’re called Mydrap and cost $29, come in three sizes and 20 colors.  Unfortunately, it appears they are not sold here in the U.S., but need to be ordered from overseas.  To order: 877-625-2539

Another great little tip I learned while skimming through Living today was to use leftover packing popcorn in planters.  Put them in a plastic bag, place the bag at the bottom of the planter, then put potting soil on top.  It saves you from having to use as much soil and saves the environment from all that “popcorn” being thrown away!

Well, that’s it for the Information Junkie today.  See you next Wednesday!

At the Silver Gate of Wisdom, the “Challenge” is:

“…to reconnect to our regenerative forces and stay connected.”

As we get older, “regenerating” doesn’t always come so easily…physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.  Our bodies don’t always cooperate like they used to; we forget a lot; we’re spent emotionally from years of just simply dealing with life.  As described in this chapter, we can end up at the Silver Gate suffering from what Arrien refers to as “soul loss” or a disconnection from the things that fill us up and give our lives meaning.  We feel depressed, anxious, restless, and empty.

Here is where the “Challenge” comes in; we can’t let ourselves get stuck in this soul-less place.  We need to dig down deep and find that spark within ourselves that is curious and creative, that child-like fearlessness that motivates us to try new things and grow in new ways we haven’t yet experienced.

There are four fires described in this “Challenge” that we have within us all our lives:

“The fire of vision provides visions or dreams that show us possibilities and potential in our lives, inspiring us to manifest what we see or are called upon to do.  The fire of the heart teaches us about what and whom we love.  The creative fire signals the work that we love, a keen awareness of our gifts, and our desire to express them as a way of contributing to the world.  The soul’s fire calls us to be authentically who we are and serve others rather than our own egos.”

At the Silver Gate our “Challenge” is to stoke these fires, get them roaring again, and find our passion.

Once we’ve found it, the rest of the “Challenge” is taking that “internal fire” and expressing it in how we live our lives.  This is the gate where we need to get past what holds us back and throw off that inertia.

A fun example from the book came from my ancestors, the Spanish.  Apparently, an ancient custom in certain parts of the Pyrenees was practiced in order to keep “soul loss” from occurring.  Each month, for a year, on the date of your birthday, you are supposed to celebrate by doing something that you’ve never done before.  What a great way of engaging and reconnecting with the world around us and our lives!  I first read this last year and was going to try it.  I must admit, sadly, I was a dismal failure at it!! As soon as I began trying to think of things I’d never done, I started to realize why…fear, economic restrictions (no money), time, pre-conceived notions… not to mention, lack of imagination…all things that can put out your fires, if you let them.

I’d like to put out a “challenge” to all of you taking this journey to wisdom with me.  On your birthday this year, set a goal to celebrate each month for the next year by doing something you’ve never done.  I have a few months until my birthday, but I may start keeping a list now, since I found it such a “challenge” the last time.  Write a comment to me, and let me know if you’re doing it and what you’re doing to celebrate!

Let’s get reconnected and regenerated starting with one day, one month, one year!!

ORAC…no, it’s not a new vacuum cleaner.  It’s a term developed by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts to measure how an antioxidant absorbs free radicals.  It stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.  Sounds pretty important…and it is!  This test can measure the degree AND speed of an antioxidant’s ability to inhibit “oxidizing agents” (free radicals) and then assigns those two factors a single number or value.  Makes it a whole lot easier for us to figure out which antioxidants are better for us than others!

Of course, there’s an acronym for those nasty free radicals, as well…ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species).  “Species”…sounds sinister!  I’m thinking the less “species” I have in my body, the better.

What I want to share today is which antioxidants have been shown to score the highest according to the ORAC rankings.  I used to work for a pharmaceutical company for quite a number of years; and one of the bits of knowledge I took away from that experience is that “bioavailability” is imperative if you expect a supplement or drug to have the desired effect.  Knowing this was one of the reasons I became a believer in Juice Plus years ago.  Their extensive research has shown that what is in their capsules is actually “bioavailable” to our bodies.  This is also the reason I’m a little skeptical of companies that sell supplements touting all the marvelous medical conditions they can impact when they don’t have the research to back up their claims, including whether or not their wonder pill or drink is bioavailable.  So I admit I’ve been skeptical of all the information I’ve seen about the acai berry…up until now.

The article I read today in the June issue of Life Extension explores the scientific validation of the ORAC value of the acai berry, as well as numerous other berries and vegetables, which I’ll share later.  The acai is a kind of palm tree found in South America near the Amazon.  According to the scientific analysis of the acai berry, its…

…complete polyphenolic profile boasts a formidable array of beneficial compounds, including polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (11.1% and 60.2% respectively), along with 19 health-promoting amino acids.

Another description of the benefits of the acai berry from this article states:

Its potent antioxidant properties and highly beneficial polyphenolic profile endow acai with a singular ability to combat cellular aging and oxidative damage.  The latest research reveals the potential for significant beneficial effects on longevity and incidence of chronic disease.

There are a couple things that excite me about the information in this article.  One is a finding that antioxidants in the freeze-dried acai extract “…have been shown to enter human cells in a fully functional form and effectively neutralize free radicals at very low doses”.  Bioavailability…extremely important!  This freeze-dried extract is also “…extraordinarily effective against the most damaging Reactive Oxygen Species, the superoxide and peroxyl radicals”.

Even more exciting to me (and many others) is the growing research that shows acai berries may be a major battler against cancer.  I’m aware these same findings are in the alternative treatment world in regards to raspberry extract (which I currently take).

What makes these berries (and others) even more powerful is that they contain anthocyanins, one of the classes of polyphenols (chemicals found in plants).  These are the berries that have deep red, blue or purple colors.  Anthocyanins have benefits that are extremely important to thriving longevity.  Those benefits include:

• Inhibiting cancer cell growth and actually killing the cells

• Reduced risk of heart disease

• Improvement in eye function

• Limiting the damage done to DNA cells by free radicals

In Friday’s blog post, I’ll share which other berries were mentioned in the article and their individual benefits to your health.  I’ll also share the ORAC values assigned to all of them.  The acai berry is by far the most potent, highly ranked berry at 18,400 ORAC units per 3.5 ounces (or 100 grams).  Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 3-5,000 ORAC units per day.

Are you a fan of acai berries?  I’m thinking I’m heading in that direction!

It’s Wednesday…and you know what that means!  Information Junkie Day!

This morning I was perusing the May/June issue of AARP Magazine…okay, yes, I admit I am a card-carrying member of AARP!  Believe me, I fought it for a long time after I started getting those darn mailings when I turned 50.  But then I saw one of the magazines (I’m an information junkie, remember?), and it really was pretty good…and informative!  So I joined.  Anyway, one of the first things I read about in this issue had to do with spices that can help your brain.

If you read my post from Monday, that also had to do with the brain as we age.  It’s one of those challenges that we need to learn to accept (note yesterday’s post)…the fact that as we age we just don’t remember “stuff” like we used to.  However, this was more than information on improving your memory.

The first spice mentioned is Turmeric (accent on the first syllable).  A research study at the University of California, LA, found that curcumin (which is the “active” ingredient in turmeric) was quite effective in destroying that nasty amyloid beta brain plaque that is found in Alzheimer’s patients.  Now the study was done on mice, not humans, but it’s still a promising find, I’d say.  In fact, it seems that in India, where they eat a lot of curry (which contains turmeric), the rate of Alzheimer’s is only one-fourth of the rate of that found in the U.S.  Personally, I’ve been using turmeric in my home made salad dressing for the past couple of months; because it is also a good cancer-fighting spice.

You may want to try their chicken salad recipe: Toss 2 tsp curry powder w/2 cups cubed chicken. Saute’ in olive oil until cooked, then cool.  Add raisins, diced apples, chopped almonds, chopped celery, and low-fat yogurt to taste.

Second on the list is saffron.  I LOVE saffron!  It is nostalgic for me.  Being the daughter of a first-generation Spaniard, I was raised eating chicken and yellow rice (arros con pollo).  Saffron is what turns the rice yellow.  In 2007, the University of Tehran did a study showing that getting a dose of saffron twice a day can be as effective on mild to moderate depression as Prozac! You can add ½ tsp of saffron to the water you cook your rice in.  Of course, last time I checked, saffron cost a fortune; in fact, I think they keep it behind the customer service desk at the grocery stores so it doesn’t get ripped off!  Plus your insurance (if you even have insurance) isn’t going to cover that purchase.  I don’t have a problem with depression, but I may just ask how much it would set me back to buy a small supply of it the next time I shop.

This next research study I found very interesting, since I am constantly researching alternative treatments for cancer so I can pass the information on.  The study was referenced in the 2007 Cancer journal.  In the study it seems that garlic compounds were shown to eliminate brain cancer cells!  WOW!  Wouldn’t that be wild and wonderful if new treatments for brain cancer would be composed of garlic compounds rather than chemotherapy drugs?!!!  One suggestion for getting your healthy dose of garlic on a regular basis is to make marinara with tomatoes, a couple cloves of garlic, and basil.

For all you jocks out there, you might want to try chewing cinnamon gum when preparing to battle your opponents.  Apparently, cinnamon helps to regulate blood sugar levels, which helps you to stay focused.  This in turn helps your brain process visual cues at a faster rate.  If you don’t like to chew gum, try adding cinnamon to a bowl of oatmeal before you get out on the raquet ball court or pick up the controller on your Wii.

One last note on the spices you use.  Store them in glass jars, rather than plastic; they will last longer (6-12 months).

Okay, that’s it for Information Junkie Wednesday.   Go season up your brains; feel better; play better!  Adios!

In working through The Second Half of Life, you have to pass through the Eight Gates of Wisdom.  Who knew, right?  I’ve known for quite some time that I’m wiser than I was 40 years ago; but one would certainly hope that, after all we’ve gone through over four decades, we would come out the other side having learned something!

The first of the eight gates in Angeles Arrien’s book is the Silver Gate:  Facing New Experiences and the Unknown.  I’m sure there are plenty from the Baby Boomer set who would say, “No thanks, I’ll just stick with the familiar and comfortable at this point in my life.”  Personally, I’m intrigued by new experiences; the “unknown” makes it sound a little more ominous!  However, I’m game!

At each Gate in the book we are given a “Task”, a “Challenge”, a “Gift”, “Reflections”, and something we’re supposed to “Practice”.  Apparently, Arrien isn’t going to make it easy for us to get through all eight gates in order to gain all that wisdom.  For the sake of making it a little simpler, I’m going to break down the journey through each gate into one blog post per section mentioned above.  I’m hopeful that some of you reading this will take this journey with me.  As a rule, I think journeys are more fun when you have company!

I’m also holding out hope that for those reading this who aren’t yet in that “Second Half of Life”, they will find it good food for thought.  After all, who’s to say you can’t get a head start on all this wisdom stuff, anyway.

The Task of the Silver Gate includes acceptance of the aging process we’re going through, the aging of both our minds and our bodies.  That’s already a hard one, don’t you think?  This means, as is pointed out in the book, letting go of our egos.  There are times when I tell myself to just let go, that it is too much work to fight it.  Then there is the other side of me that has for years said that I’m going kicking and screaming!  What I find appealing is that in letting go and accepting where we’re headed, we find freedom.

With this freedom comes the opportunity to experience not only our status as “elders”, but also discover new adventures.  Of course, the author tells us we need to:

…see our lives with new eyes so we can begin to prepare for the ultimate new experience, which is our death.

Yeah…I’m not so sure about that “adventure”.  Not that I’m afraid of acknowledging it is on my journey somewhere down the road; I’m just not ready to travel that path quite yet!  I’ve got too much living to do first…too much to discover about the next 50 years of my life!

The “essential” task of this first gate, the Silver Gate, is to live this part of your life “like a river flows” with flexibility and perseverance.  Arrien challenges us, at this gate, to:

…return to a fresh innocence and resourcefulness as we fully explore the spirit of fluency, looking at our world with expanded curiosity.

The poem she quotes, by John O’Donohue, called Fluent does give a very simple, yet attracting way, of looking at how to live life:

I would love to live

Like a river flows,

Carried by the surprise

Of its own unfolding

Float trip anyone?!!

We all know that being overweight is an unhealthy state for our bodies, not just as we age, but all throughout our lives.  Heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, joint and movement problems…and on and on; these are but a few of the troubling health issues that the overweight and obese contend with daily.

Now there is new research divulging another difficulty inherent, it seems, with being overweight or obese.  Previous studies had been done on smaller “samples”; however, for this study, 730 people (70% female), having an average age of 60, were used.  What they looked for in the study was the association between the subjects’ body mass index (BMI), their waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and the CT measure of their abdominal fat and their overall brain volume.

The study was led by scientist, Sudha Seshadri, an associate professor of neurology at the Boston University School of Medicine.   What was found  was that:

Brain regions key to cognition are smaller in older people who are obese compared with their leaner peers, making their brains look up to 16 years older than their true age. As brain shrinkage is linked to
dementia, this adds weight to the suspicion that piling on the pounds may up a person’s risk of the brain condition.

Other information from the research, which should be a wake-up call to those under the age of 50, is that for those in their 30s who have larger stomachs with a lot of visceral fat, it is highly likely their brains will be smaller as they get into their second half of life (50s and above).  The shrinking of the brain is linked to the fact that added weight reduces not only blood flow to the brain, but also nutrients and oxygen.

These studies are also showing a link between obesity and Alzheimer’s, because the blood of those who are obese generally has too much insulin.  Insulin does not get rid of amyloid plaque as well as blood that is healthy does; this amyloid plaque can then lead to brain damage in the Alzheimer patient.

Another scary fact that a recent imaging study has found is that (on average) the obese participants’ brain volume was 8% lower than those of a normal weight.  Their brains also

…looked 16 years older than the brains of those who were lean; and in overweight people, they looked 8 years older.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are both conditions that all of us over 50 think about, especially as we care for parents who are suffering right now from one or both.  It would seem to me that this should be a good incentive to want to take off some weight…added, of course, to all the other health problems I mentioned above.

I don’t know about you, but “thriving” as I get older does not include dementia or Alzheimer’s (even though there is a history of it in my father’s family).  If you do struggle with weight issues, I hope that this information may be something that will motivate you to think about how you can make changes that will positively affect your future overall health and well-being.

I can’t believe it’s been seven months since I posted regarding The Second Half of Life book!  That means, of course, it’s been seven months since I’ve done anything with it!  In my defense, I’ve been going through the “…abrupt, unexpected changes…” in my life that the book tells us we can go through in order to “…align with what truly touches our hearts and has meaning for us.”

Since writing the post in October, I have been diagnosed with breast cancer (which has been a journey all unto itself), moved into a new apartment (which I told you I’m in love with), continued building my freelance writing business (which is still in its infancy), cultivated new friends and relationships, and even welcomed a new granddaughter, Josie!

In revisiting all my highlighted notes and mini-Post-Its (which I’m addicted to), I’m reminded of the unbelievable insights this book has to offer.  Arrien, the author, tells us that during the second half of our lives “…a fundamental and primal shift from ambition to meaning occurs.”  This shift is, she shares, what brings us to the Eight Gates of Wisdom.  In our search for meaning in our lives at this point, according to Arrien, we must make the “…journey of descent and ascent in which we reclaim the authentic self and release the false self.”

This is not an easy journey!  Who among us really enjoys looking too long or hard at the parts of our inner selves that are less than admirable…maybe even downright egotistical and self-serving!  Arrien does a great job of describing this:

In both directions, we encounter our shadows, the unclaimed, undesired, and un-befriended aspects of our natures.  To become fully developed human beings, we must confront both our demons and our angels.  If we can do this successfully, we free ourselves from the illusion of who we think we are.  We are delivered into the mystery of our true, essential being and are able to generate a new domain of freedom that is anchored in wisdom, love, and faith.

In this section, Arrien references a book that I have not yet purchased (big surprise!!!), Transformation: Growth and Change in Adult Life, by Roger Gould. In his book, she tells us, he explains how hard it is to acquire the freedom referenced above.  It’s especially difficult, as one would expect, on the descent part of the journey, “…which requires us to realistically and honestly look at our lives without denial, indulgence or embellishment.”  Arrien then relates:

To achieve an adult sense of freedom, we must come to terms with unresolved anger, disappointment, despair, fear, and feelings of repugnance concerning death.  We can no longer harbor our illusions, aversions or attachments.  Recognizing these feelings is only the first step.  We have to act, to descend into our inner terrain and dispel all that is false and at odds with our essential being.  The raw experience of descent prepares the way for increased self-knowledge and self-acceptance that are honest and true, anchored in a kind of self-confidence that is neither inflated nor deflated.  The descent allows us to experience the ascent with genuine hopefulness, curiosity, and an ennobled spirit.

I love that last line!  When I re-read this section this morning, it confirmed for me something I’ve already dealt with since my diagnosis…the disease was a gift that forced me to take a long, hard look at what has gone on in my life (especially in the last few years).  It also was a huge motivation for examining my personality traits and how they have served and NOT served me for much of my life.  It forced me to ruminate on my feelings regarding death.

One awareness I have had since my diagnosis is that I have a lot of knowledge, information, and insights to share; and the gift I was given (the love of writing…especially in the first person) is how I’m meant to do that.  It is my passion, and I’ve finally allowed myself the luxury of doing it with a purpose in mind.

If you’re in your second half of life, I hope you’ll take this journey with me.  If you’re not, I hope you’ll listen and learn in anticipation of your second half.  Part of why I’m doing this is so that my children, hopefully, will glean something from my experience that will make their journeys a little easier and less of a surprise when the time comes!

Have you had any significant happenings in your life that have already started to lead you on your journey?  I’d love to hear about them!