_ Health HeadlinesHGB Dies at 90 By Sondra Forsyth articleAll of us who are "Boomers and Beyond" are hoping to live long and well. Helen Gurley Brown did exactly that. Here's a link to our ThirdAge tribute to her, which we posted on her 90th birthday: http://www.thirdage.com/celebrities/happy-90th-bday-helen-gurley-brown
_ World No Tobacco Day By Sondra Forsyth articleMay 31st is World No Tobacco Day 2012. If you're still puffing away, in spite of all the dire health warnings about smoking, consider making this the moment you commit to kicking the habit. Do it for yourself, and for those you love. Obviously, they want you to stay well and live long, but remember that you are also putting all those around you at risk by exposing them to secondhand smoke.
Rare Disease Day: 1 in 10 People Are Afflicted By Sondra Forsyth article Ten years ago at the age of 44, Liz Gorka was stunned when she was diagnosed with a disease she had never heard of before. Systemic sclerodema is a progressive disorder that causes the hardening of connective tissues and can seriously damage vital organs. As the Mayo Clinic site puts it, "For unknown reasons, the immune system turns against the body . . . Scleroderma has no known cure."
Aging Well10 Little Changes That Take Off Five Years By Sondra Forsyth articleIf the Fountain-of-Youth Fairy came into your life and offered to wave her magic wand so you would look at least five years younger almost instantly, we're betting you wouldn't turn her down. Well, here we are with the next best solution. Read on for 10 surefire strategies to make yourself appear more youthful than you do right now. Stand up Straight
_ FriendshipDo You Still Need a BFF? By Sondra Forsyth article Celebrity best friends Barbra Streisand and Donna Karan have famously continued their close connection with one another for over 20 years. Babs, who will turn 70 in April of 2012, recently took the stage at the Dream Foundation's annual gala to present the evening's award to the 64-year-old creator of DKNY clothing labels for her tireless work in helping grant wishes for the terminally ill.
_ Have You Become Your Mother? By Sondra Forsyth article When my mother had been widowed about three years, we took her on a tour of a community for active seniors near where we lived in New York. She was visiting from her home in Michigan and our plan was to get her to move. From our point of view, she was rattling around all alone in a three-bedroom house and she rarely got a chance to see the grandchildren. We thought she'd jump at the opportunity to sell her property and not only settle into a place where she could socialize with people her own age but also be a short drive from her family.
Style5 Ways to Perk Up a January Wardrobe By Sondra Forsyth article Sherrie Mathieson, an award-winning costume designer for United Artists, is the author of "Forever Cool: How to Achieve Ageless, Youthful, and Modern Personal Style" and "Steal This Style: Moms and Daughters Swap Wardrobe Secrets." We asked her for tips to give a winter-weary wardrobe some pizzazz. Here's what she told us:
ExerciseHow to Start an Exercise Routine By Sondra Forsyth article Does the word "exercise" make you think of boring routines that feel like an obligation you'd just as soon avoid? Follow our step by step checklist to help yourself get moving and stay on track. Let's make 2012 your year to be a fitness maven. Ready, set, glow! Get Your Docs OK Before You Begin
Well-beingHow Doing Good Helps You By Sondra Forsyth article Like a lot of Boomers these days, you may be leading a full and fairly stressful life. Here's a counterintuitive way to make yourself feel better both emotionally and physically. Add one more item to your To Do list: volunteering. And if you're retired with a little leisure on your hands, filling the void with projects that reach out to others is a scientifically proven way to boost your morale and your immune system at the same time.