Honeymoon long over? Hang in there. A 2018 University of California, Berkeley, study shows those prickly disagreements that can mark the early and middle years of marriage mellow with age as conflicts give way to humor and acceptance. Researchers analyzed videotaped conversations between 87 middle-aged and older husbands and wives who had been married for… Continue reading As Married Couples Age, Humor Replaces Bickering
Author: Sondra Forsyth
Sondra Forsyth is Co-Editor-in-Chief of ThirdAge.com. She is a National Magazine Award winner with scores of major magazine bylines and twelve books to her credit. Her most recent book is “Candida Cleanse: The 21-Day Diet to Beat Yeast and Feel Your Best”. Sondra was Executive Editor at “Ladies’ Home Journal,” Features Editor at “Cosmopolitan,” and Articles Editor at “Bride’s”. A former ballerina, she founded Ballet Ambassadors, an arts-in-education company in New York City, and served as Artistic Director for 16 years.
Stretching the Tax Benefits of Annuities
One of the biggest advantages of an annuity, tax deferral, can be lost when anyone other than a spouse inherits an annuity. Then, all deferred taxes on the gains must be paid sooner or later. It’s usually better to pay them later rather than sooner—and there are different ways to do that. If the beneficiary… Continue reading Stretching the Tax Benefits of Annuities
What to Do When a Skincare Disaster Erupts Before a Holiday Party
It’s something every woman fears: Waking up on the day before or day of a big holiday party with an unsightly skincare emergency. How many women have cancelled an invitation because a cold sore erupted? How about cystic acne on your chin that appears New Year’s Eve? While neither of these are “life threatening” conditions,… Continue reading What to Do When a Skincare Disaster Erupts Before a Holiday Party
Keep Holiday Plants Looking Their Best
The holiday season has arrived. That means you will be on the giving or receiving end of a poinsettia, Christmas cactus, cyclamen, amaryllis or other holiday plant. Extend the beauty and longevity of these holiday beauties with proper care. And that starts the minute you leave the florist or garden center. Always protect your gift… Continue reading Keep Holiday Plants Looking Their Best
Essential Oils from Garlic and Other Herbs Kill “Persister” Lyme Disease Bacteria
Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a 2018 study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These oils may be especially useful in alleviating Lyme symptoms that persist despite standard antibiotic treatment, the study also… Continue reading Essential Oils from Garlic and Other Herbs Kill “Persister” Lyme Disease Bacteria
Hazelnuts Improve Older Adults’ Vitamin E and Magnesium Levels
Older adults who added hazelnuts to their diet for a few months significantly improved their levels of two key micronutrients, Vitamin E and magnesium, according to a 2018 study done at Oregon State University indicates. In the study, 32 people age 55 and older ate about 57 grams of hazelnuts – 2 ounces or about… Continue reading Hazelnuts Improve Older Adults’ Vitamin E and Magnesium Levels
How to Speak up When You Can’t Find the Words
Avoiding confrontation. Dreading consequences. Trying not to offend or hurt someone. Naturally shy. Culturally sensitive. Or, just afraid to rock the boat. There are many reasons we may ‘bite our tongue’ and studies show just how often we choose to stay silent when we have something important to say. 69% of workplace managers resist communicating… Continue reading How to Speak up When You Can’t Find the Words
Do You Have a Healthy Personality?
What are the most psychologically healthy personality traits? Scholars have been interested in characterizing the healthy personality as long as they have been trying to understand how people differ from one another. In 2018, researchers from the University of California, Davis identified a healthy personality prototype in a study using a contemporary trait perspective. THIRTY… Continue reading Do You Have a Healthy Personality?
Wiping the Slate Clean for 2019: Forgive for Your Health’s Sake
Holding a grudge can damage your heart and shorten your life by putting you under undue stress, research has found. Forgiveness is the number one thing you can do to reduce stress in your life. If there’s someone who has hurt you or wronged you in some way, and you haven’t forgiven them, your stress level… Continue reading Wiping the Slate Clean for 2019: Forgive for Your Health’s Sake
The Five Types of Problem Drinking Are More Common at Different Ages
Alcohol abuse is more complicated than simply drinking too much. There may be five separate types of problem drinkers, according to a 2018 study by Penn State researchers. Also, each one may be more common at different stages of life. In the study, Penn State researchers discovered five distinct classes or “profiles” among people with… Continue reading The Five Types of Problem Drinking Are More Common at Different Ages
Widely Used Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer Doesn’t Cause Cognitive Decline
University of California, Los Angeles researchers have found that commonly used hormone therapies for women diagnosed with breast cancer do not appear to cause significant cognitive dysfunction following the treatment. Endocrine therapy has become an essential part of treatment for the many women diagnosed with hormone-receptor positive breast cancer, in which hormones, such as estrogen,… Continue reading Widely Used Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer Doesn’t Cause Cognitive Decline
Everything You Wanted to Know About Plastic Surgery but Didn’t Know Who to Ask
With plastic surgery so mainstream the question today isn’t “did she or didn’t she?” but “what did she have done?” Botox, filler, liposuction, facelift, breast implants, are not just limited to celebrities as they once were. There isn’t a body or facial concern that can’t be addressed through some sort of procedure. With more and… Continue reading Everything You Wanted to Know About Plastic Surgery but Didn’t Know Who to Ask
What Does It Mean to be Bipolar?
Everyone experiences normal ups and downs in their mood, but bipolar disorder – characterized by dramatic shifts in mood, energy and activity levels – can make day-to-day life far more challenging. Fortunately, this psychiatric condition can be effectively controlled with a variety of treatment approaches. An estimated 4.4% of adults in the United States experience… Continue reading What Does It Mean to be Bipolar?
Beyond Bone Mineral Density: Additional Bone Traits That Predict Risk for Fracture
Every year more than 2 million older Americans experience a fragility fracture to the hip, spine or wrist. Usually the result of a fall from standing height or less, fragility fractures stem from underlying bone deterioration. Loss of bone mineral density (BMD) – the condition known as osteoporosis – is one way bones can become… Continue reading Beyond Bone Mineral Density: Additional Bone Traits That Predict Risk for Fracture
How to Change Your Step-Family to a Chosen Family This Holiday Season
The holiday season is always lauded as important family time. There are extended-family dinners, gifts to exchange, and cross-country treks to each other’s homes. All in all, this sounds like a wonderful time of year, right? Well, for blended families (who now make up over 50% of US households), spending this time together isn’t so… Continue reading How to Change Your Step-Family to a Chosen Family This Holiday Season
Curry Spice May Improve Exercise Performance After Heart Failure
Research done at the University of Nebraska Medical Center suggests that curcumin, a main ingredient in curry, may improve exercise intolerance related to heart failure. The study was published in November 2018 in the Journal of Applied Physiology. Curcumin, a chemical that comes from the turmeric plant, has been used as a traditional Asian medicine… Continue reading Curry Spice May Improve Exercise Performance After Heart Failure
Plants for Every Room of Your Home
Gardeners know the benefits of digging in the soil. It elevates a person’s mood, improves mental and physical well-being and the outcome is always good – added beauty or tasty nutritional food. But many of us are stuck indoors for the winter, have a lack of space to garden outdoors or just can’t get enough… Continue reading Plants for Every Room of Your Home
Why Binge Holiday Drinking is Anything but Merry
’Tis the season to eat, drink and be merry. Some of us, however, take those festive suggestions to dangerous lengths and end up binge drinking. While one night of imbibing multiple drinks may only leave you with a hangover, using the holidays as an excuse to drink abusively from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve can… Continue reading Why Binge Holiday Drinking is Anything but Merry