The older we get the happier we become? Is this possible? Last night I was sitting next to my mother in law at a 50th wedding anniversary party. Yep, I said it ” a 50th wedding anniversary.” There is still such a thing:)
We started talking and I asked her (she is 73 and has been married for 55 years) if she was happy. She quickly and with a smile said yes. She said she becomes more happier as she gets older. She stated that there are days when she gets a little down because her husband has his good and bad health days and she has hers (the two are truly one). Wow I thought! In this day and age where instant gratification is the norm, how can this be?
I asked how she could could get happier as she aged? She said that as you age and especially as a couple you become more settled in and you have to accept things and life the way that it is so you live in the present because, you don’t know how much longer you have. I don’t know if it was the glass of wine I forced her to drink but, she started talking away about all the things those of us who are younger ( I love to be younger than someone for a change) could learn from.
In the present time where the most important thing of the day is sometimes our Facebook account or how we can look younger, sexier and how we can aquire more materials, we have to stop and sit down and talk to the older folks. We don’t give them a chance as they can teach us a lot. It’s ashame that as we get older, our place in society is not one of value anymore. Well, that’s at least for the Western culture.
My point here is if and when you think you know it all, have a conversation with an elder and when you need advice (like your marriage is in trouble, you worry more about your appearance or accumulating stuff ) know that our elders is the only therapy we may ever need.
I just ordered TNS serum it’s a serum that is supposed to have stem cells and other goodies to make my skin better. I haven’t used it in a while as it is kind of expensive and, being that I like both products and procedures, I decided to give it a break and spend my money in other products. Just to be fair, when I did use TNS for a year or two, my skin looked awesome! It is a great product but, at a 150.00 a bottle, it can get expensive when combined with other products and procedures.
With that being said, all the talk about stem cells and how they are changing and will change our skin, I began to realize on my journey to anti-aging skin that, just about every product claims to have the latest and greatest “Stem Cell” therapy! But, how do we know what is the best and how stem cells work? Seems to be if the words “stem cells” are on the bottle, the price is jacked up automatically!
There is a new product on the market called “U” skin care and its supposed to be a regenerative type medicine of sorts that is for cosmetic purposes. It works by taking a bit of fat from an area of your body then it’s sent to a lab and then multiplied and used to create a unique skin care treatment for each individual.
So in a nut shell, the “U” line works by healing and regenerating stem cells that have the ability to become other cells which in turn, make these other cells repair, replace and renew themselves. Pretty awesome in concept but does it really work? I knew I should of kept that fat that was removed from the back of my arms!! After finding out about this treatment, I am thinking “why waste it?”
Okay, back to the story…After the cells are sent to the lab and multiplied they extract growth factors from the proteins which are messengers telling other cells to repair themselves, thus the “U” line (your own unique skin care line) can be applied to your face and your skin will start to rejuvenate! OKAY, WHERE DO I SIGN UP?!!
I would like to bring to your attention that when you buy a stem cell face cream, most of them don’t have any stem cells in them, according to John Arnone (newyoumagazine/issue 8/2012). What they have are ingredients that claim to stimulate your cells or they have other species cells like, fish, sheep, etc.
The take away. Cells need to be told what to do. With today’s technology (hopefully I will use it before I die) we can use our own stem cells to create beautiful skin. It typically takes from 30 to 60 days to create your unique product. Everyone’s cells grow at different rates.
Heres that bad part, with Designer Stem Cells & Regenerative Skin Care, the initial price is about $3,000 which includes the doctor visit, mini lipo procedure, storage of the stem cell sample and a two month supply and then it will cost you $1,000 a month for a three product line, serum, eye cream and moisturizer.
I guess I will keep hoping and praying that I am using the right products until (hopefully) the cost will come down.
I just read a super sweet story called “My story in Five Faces” and I thought I would share it with you. If you are like me, you may wonder where your place is now in life and especially where your place in society will be in the coming years.
In middle age it seems as though the World is for those who are younger and for those of us who are in middle age and above, we are either trying to transition from the person who we used to be and the person we may be hesitant to become but, with a little acceptance, I am starting to believe it’s okay to be middle age and beyond.
I see both my 22 and my 17 year old struggling to find a place in life, always with some drama here and there. Moreover, I find myself trying to convince them that when they get older (God forbid my age) life figures itself out and the drama goes away (unless you thrive on drama then thats another story for you). Which then made me realize I am exactly where I need to, and want to be at this very moment because, I am essentially telling them just wait until you get to my age? So here I am, happy to admit, I am very happy.
Why can’t we live in the moment instead of living in the past and worrying about the future?
Why fight where we are? So what if the younger generation owns the clubs, the clothes, the marketing, the everything! Who cares!! Let’s build a place where if you are not 45 and above you can’t come in and if you did (by law because unfortunately we can’t discriminate) we would own it and it wouldn’t be very comfortable!! Okay, I should stop now, but I’m not
Why as we get older do we slow down and give in and cave into the aging mentality? We should live life with drive and ambition and mostly the energy we once had. It’s all a state of mind unless you give in.
Okay, a little off subject (if you follow me you will see I suffer seriously from ADD but it is my gift and I embrace it) anyways, back to the story….
So in my local paper at the end of the Parade magazine I read “My Story in Five Faces.” When I looked at the page I thought it is a one pager with a few short paragraphs and it looks life fluff. So, instead of bothering my daughter while she is studying (which I complain she should do more of) I thought I would read the story.
There are five faces in the middle of the story. The pictures are of a woman at age 12, 21, 37, 45, 53 and they catch my eye because they are completely different but I can see it’s the same person as she ages. Something I am not sure I would like to see for myself!
As I read she talks about George Orwell and how at age “50 everyone has the face he deserves.” She says “maybe a promise or a warning” you face will show. That’s interesting? Does my face show promise or warning?
The article states “Even in the faces of strangers, you can tell who has spent more time laughing than frowning. Who rolled with life’s tumbles and who never recovered.” Now that I think about it, I have seen this in many people and it’s so true.
The article states that our faces are like maps that become redrawn. If we line up of our faces at different ages in life, a story will unfold like a “graphic novel.”
So, I did the unthinkable. I found the photos of me and lined them up, fearing of what I might see or worse, realize.
After I took a good look at my story I realized even though I sometimes still live in what me and my cousin Lori call the “if only” world, I look happier today than I did when I was 11. As I progress through my story, I see just like many other stories, it’s the eyes that tell what’s going on in the sould and the face only ages around them.
If I died tomorrow, I would say, that my life has been a pretty awesome book!
Dating in middle age is becoming common these days, this is because of the reason that more and more people wants to try for new relationship, this has got advantage from internet as internet is providing new and better option of people for finding people to date. One can register oneself on these websites and find a perfect match. But people must understand that the game of dating in middle age is little different, as one don’t have to rely on some friend for a date one can simply go on an online website and look for a match and fix a date with that match. By middle age of a person, the person will have setbacks, because of many reasons, but life always gives a second chance and one can easily find a perfect date in middle age.
How to start looking for a match
To begin the search for dating in middle age, one must have a mind set for what he/she is looking for. When a person is clear about what he/she is looking for, finding a date become easier. Online dating sites are making this work even easier and simpler, as these websites provides various filters setting for finding a date that matches one’s criteria. As one don’t want to water hi/her time with someone who does match with his/her taste, these websites provides facility for choosing filters such as, interest, location, hobbies, religion, education, and physical characteristics of the person. Simplicity of search on online websites is making online websites more popular. Each day more people who want dating in middle age are looking towards these websites for finding a match.
Where to look for a date
One can find date and new people in many paces including internet. If someone is interested in reading then, one can find attractive people at book stores. One can also find lovely people for dating at concerts, movies. One should broaden his/her horizon of find a match for dating by doing new things like going for races etc. This is quite true as increasing one’s spectrum help the person in understanding his/her likes or dislikes, by attend new types of events a person will come across new people and this might help in finding a better relationship, a person that is much better than one has ever met before. So dating has no age one can always find a better sole mate, even in middle age, a person just have to start dating in middle age.
Okay so here we go again. We have another seemingly quick procedure that only takes about 30 to 45 minutes to perform in the doctors office and you can go back to work.
The Y facelift is not a surgical procedure and was created by Dr. Yan Trokel. The procedure is what he calls, revolutionary.
It is non invasive and takes no incisions and no stitches or, anesthesia. Dr. Trokel performs the Y lift by using a special instrument to go beneath the skin and lift the muscles, fat and skin.
After he has lifted these areas he injects hyaluronic acid through four to six incisions. Some patients have mild pain and discomfort as they state when the instrument makes its way near the bone. Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in our skin and he uses it to hold the elevated position in place, he removes the instrument and then massages and molds the acid in place.
I went online to check the comments from other doctors on this procedure and many said it was simply just an injectable procedure done in a different way. To be honest when I watched the video of the procedure and the after effect, I was very pleased however, a little skeptical. I know when something is too good to be true it probably is.
Many times things are the same just repackage in a different way. What my conclusion is, is that this procedure is similar to what is being done now, Juvederm injections, etc. the only difference I see is he is going deeper than what I have had and what most doctors are doing now. I believe too, this is why they dissipate so quickly.
Because of this, he probably adds more injectable and because its deeper, perhaps this is why there is a better result, more of a lift. I am sure his technique is different and thus, better results.
Longterm though, it doesn’t last for more than a year or so. What I have been told injectables will last me a year or so, to be honest, they only last me about three or four months at best. You should be aware they usually don’t last as long as they tell you. It may because of your activity level and other variables that vary per person.
And then, there is the expense. The Y lift costs thousands of dollars for this procedure. For me, I don’t have this kind of money to do this year by year so maybe I would opt for a traditional facelift that might last 6 to 8 years instead. However, if money were no object, than I would go for the less invasive. It’s all relative to you and your lifestyle.
The Y Facelift
Okay so here we go again. We have another seemingly quick procedure that only takes about 30 to 45 minutes to perform in the doctors office and you can go back to work.
The Y facelift is not a surgical procedure and was created by Dr. Yan Trokel. The procedure is what he calls, revolutionary.
It is non invasive and takes no incisions and no stitches or, anesthesia. Dr. Trokel performs the Y lift by using a special instrument to go beneath the skin and lift the muscles, fat and skin.
After he has lifted these areas he injects hyaluronic acid through four to six incisions. Some patients have mild pain and discomfort as they state when the instrument makes its way near the bone. Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in our skin and he uses it to hold the elevated position in place, he removes the instrument and then massages and molds the acid in place.
I went online to check the comments from other doctors on this procedure and many said it was simply just an injectable procedure done in a different way. To be honest when I watched the video of the procedure and the after effect, I was very pleased however, a little skeptical. I know when something is too good to be true it probably is.
Many times things are the same just repackage in a different way. What my conclusion is, is that this procedure is similar to what is being done now, Juvederm injections, etc. the only difference I see is he is going deeper than what I have had and what most doctors are doing now. I believe too, this is why they dissipate so quickly.
Because of this, he probably adds more injectable and because its deeper, perhaps this is why there is a better result, more of a lift. I am sure his technique is different and thus, better results.
Longterm though, it doesn’t last for more than a year or so. What I have been told injectables will last me a year or so, to be honest, they only last me about three or four months at best. You should be aware they usually don’t last as long as they tell you. It may because of your activity level and other variables that vary per person.
And then, there is the expense. The Y lift costs thousands of dollars for this procedure. For me, I don’t have this kind of money to do this year by year so maybe I would opt for a traditional facelift that might last 6 to 8 years instead. However, if money were no object, than I would go for the less invasive. It’s all relative to you and your lifestyle.
As I asked myself this question I realized the sun wasn’t shining and it was over cast. Yesterday it was a perfectly sunny, Spring day in January. That was it.. I was having some kind of mood disorder relating to the weather. But I live in Texas! This can’t be possible as we have a ton of sun right?
I don’t live up North where they have what is diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder? I am one not to label myself because believe me, if I label myself, I will become what I think..
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is associated with Winter depression. I am not one to get depressed (thank goodness thus far) but I do notice a slight change in my happiness when it is dark and dreary outside.
So doing a little research about SAD I found those who suffer from this are generally very happy in the summer but not in the winter. They say there are variables related to this but lack of sun and natural light exposure appears to be the most common explanation.
In fact, many animals also share this as they have variations in activity levels, sleep patterns, and appetite. What is fascinating is, animals (mammals like us) are extremely sensitive to changes in the day length.
In a nut shell, perhaps SAD is caused by a hormonal change triggered by reduced secretion of melatonin and an increase in cortisol. Therefore, a Melatonin supplement may alleviate the symptoms of SAD by increasing melatonin levels and decreasing or suppressing cortisol levels.
All I know is I could never live in Alaska! Amen to all who can handle days in the dark for months.. I salute you.
There is another therapy that may work for SAD and that is light therapy. It is a full spectrum of light designed to imitate the sunlight. They have used it to treat SAD and those who are clinically depressed. Again, the treatment success of Light Therapy may be due to the effect on the pineal gland, leading to the re-establishment of proper of Melatonin.
St. John’s Wart can also help too, however it is more effective when it is used along with light therapy.
So to quickly summarize, there are many varaibles related to SAD but full spectrum natural light seems to be the root cause.
We have all suffered from anxiety at one time or another. In fact, it has been reported that over fourteen million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. For some it can be mild anxiety and for others in can create an intense fear so bad that, it destroys their life.
Although some anxiety is completely normal, high levels are not and, with high levels of anxiety it can be uncomfortable and lead to significant problems in one’s life.
There are many symptoms that accompany anxiety. The most common are heart palpitations, throbbing or stabbing pains in the chest, tightness, the inability to take in a deep breath and hyperventilation.
Another physical issue related to anxiety is muscle tension, headaches, back pain, and muscle spasms. Other symptoms are dizziness, dry mouth, sweating, digestive problems, and the constant need to use the bathroom.
People who suffer from anxiety usually have an overwhelming and constant feeling that something very bad is going to happen or, they feel they have a chronic illness. They perpetuate this feeling by creating the symptoms of anxiety.
The most significant bio-chemical disturbance that happens in those with anxiety is an elevated lactate blood level and there are at least six nutritional factors that may contribute to this elevation: 1. Alcohol, 2. Caffeine, 3. Sugar, 4. Vitamin B deficiency, 5. Calcium or magnesium deficiency and 6. Food allergies.
Nutrition influences mental health. By avoiding alcohol, caffeine, sugar and food allergens, those with anxiety can make great improvements and/or avoid anxiety symptoms altogether. For some, just eliminating coffee can give complete relief of anxiety symptoms.
Herbal remedies for anxiety
One herb that is used for treating anxiety is Kava. Studies have shown those who took 400 mg per day had progressive improvements compared to the drug Oxazepam, with no side effects. Always consult your doctor when beginning any type of herb treatment and never stop taking any drugs until you and your doctor have agreed that an alternative treatment is advisable as it is very dangerous to stop on your own.
The primary Alternative Medicine or Herbal Treatments are as follows:
Herbal remedies for anxiety
Reduce or eliminate the use of stimulants.
Eliminate alcohol.
Use Kava when necessary.
Eliminate refined carbohydrates and sugar.
Eat regular meals throughout the day to stabilize your blood sugar.
Check and control food allergies.
Exercise.
Source:Encylopedia of natural medicine/2cnd edition
Everybody in this world wants to live a life which is free of aging. Every soul wants to stay young. There are a lot of anti-aging diets which can be followed. Whichever suits the individual needs and availability of the foods it can vary from person to person and place to place?
Strategies
There are a number of strategies that can be followed.
The first and foremost thing would be to drink lots of water. Since a dehydrated body produces wrinkled skin and causes darkening of the skin too, it is advisable that the water content in the body is maintained well. To do this it is essential to drink lots of water or to compensate with other fluids like soya milk or fruits and drinks rich in water content.
Second strategy is to add many fruits to your regular diet. This way you get all the richness of these fruits which are rich in anti – oxidants, which can combat toxins and help in process of anti aging. The fruits which should be preferred would be Kiwi fruit topping the list, followed by the Avocados which are supposed to be a must have if a person is keen in the diet for anti aging. Berries are to be had every day too they can be any type Blue, black or red berries. It is also good to include prunes and raisins in the daily diet as they are the best in this issue.
The next best strategy is to include good carbs in food. Instead of having the regular carbohydrates it is good to go with these selenium rich carbohydrates that help in keeping the skin healthy and glowing. This can be done by including bread in the diet. It should not be the usual bread but should be multi grained. The other good one is porridge oats. If this seems bland you can always add berries to it to add taste.
Another part of the strategy is to include oily fish in the diet. These oily fish like Salmon are highly rich in proteins and anti oxidants which help in keeping the skin firm and young without any wrinkles. If people are reluctant about have fish they can opt for the fish oil capsules that are easily available in the market.
Last but not the least it is essential to include certain age busting foods daily in small quantities of each. They include almonds, olive oil, beans, apricot, spinach ( for that matter all green leafy vegetables, broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, green tea, etc. it would be enjoyable on the part of the person who wants to follow the regimen to have the food he or she wants to have with a glass of wine. Wine proves to be an excellent anti aging food by itself with tremendous anti oxidants and also helps fight toxins in the body. Wine also keeps the skin taught and young, giving it the glow which cant be given by most of the other anti aging food items.
Some might believe if they apply collagen to the skin it would increase collagen internally? This is not true. Collagen can’t penetrate the skin barrier. It must make it past the outermost layer of the skin. If you applied collagen to your skin it would merely make your skin feel softer but not increase collagen.
There are products that stimulate collagen such as peptides, growth factors and retinol. What they do is signal the skin to produce more collagen and this gives an good overall appearance to the skin.
How collagen breaks down
Damaging factors such as sun, smoke, pollution and free radicals can break down collagen by creating small tears in the collagen fibers and thus wear down the integrity of the proteins. Even fluctuations in our hormones can break down collagen. This is why I sappose, as we age and our hormones deplete, our collagen breaks down and we begin to look older..
If the collagen fibers are not repaired spaces and gaps happen and this leads to wrinkles, droopy and crepey skin.. Unfortunately with age, the process of our bodies repairing the collagen break down slows and becomes less efficient.
Diet can play an important part in collagen break down. Foods such as simple carbohydrates cause the blood sugar to spike. Processed foods do the same. When this happens, inflammation happens and collagen can become malformed. One should load up on antioxidant foods and omega-3 rich foods which reduce the inflammation in the body. We should avoid sugar as it binds to the skins protein. These bonds are damaging and destroy collagen and this my friends, leads to more breakdown and wrinkles.
To help our skin maintain or stimulate collagen we should use:
Vitamin C topical to generate more collagen, amino acids for strength of collagen, copper peptides to stimulate collagen and create better wound healing, growth factors to encourage new fibroblasts that will make more/new collagen, and Sirtuins, a new skin care ingredient that shows can help produce more collagen.
Injectables and Lasers
Collagen stimulation injectables like Radiesse and Sculptra are good as they plump the skin and stimulate the our own collagen. Lasers wound the skin and spur-res a healing response that forces new collagen to be created..
Just a quick note to let you know what’s in and what’s not!
Cosmetic Surgery Trends:
Out: Collagen injections – they didn’t last. Off the market now! In: Hyaluronic acid and semipermanent fillers – these are injectables that are more for sculpting and adding volume. They can also help give structure and work a lot better then they used to. The great thing is with technology, they are finding ways to make them last much longer! Thank goodness because I was running out of money as they never lasted long. Let’s see if they last in the future.
Out: Cookie Cutter nose jobs! – Ever see the same nose on many people? That smaller, thin and up turned nose? Seemed like everyone had it done. I even wanted it. But, just like bigger is not better, smaller is not better either and looking the same is not the answer. Isn’t that why one get’s surgery so they can look different? In: Natual looking noses. Doctors are taking a more customized approach meaning they address every part of the nose and put emphasis on maintaining and/or improving the nose for a more natural look and of course, a better functioning nose is good too. I mean, it’s not all about being plastic is it?
Cosmetic Surgery Trends:
Out: Skin so tight – we used to think the tighter the skin the better! Yuck! Then we all looked at people who had face lifts so tight they had that old, well you know “wind blown look.” Almost as if their skin was a see through, thin piece of rubber pulled over some bones! Okay a little more than I needed to say but you know what I mean. If getting a face lift means having to look like you had your skin pulled so tight that you look as though you had a face lift, then what the heck is the point. Natural is the way to go. In: full is better. Three dimensional volume and then some tightening of the skin for older and for younger persons, volume can rejuvenate the face.
Cosmetic Surgery Trends
In: preventative treatments! Do a little as you need it like Botox, fillers, peels, etc. Don’t wait until you have to do major work then, everyone can see you look un-natural, even you. That’s what’s in! Out: Not doing anything to take care of yourself.
Out: deep peels. They require long period of downtimes and some have side effects. In: IPL and others lasers lower levels of Fraxil, etc.
Just thought you should know in case you need a little refresher
