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.

3 Ways To Keep Your Energy and Mental Health in Check During Quarantine

Life is all of a sudden very different. Whether you are on state or locally mandated quarantine or a self-directed quarantine — it’s safe to say that nowadays, we’re spending a lot of downtime in our homes and with ourselves for an extended period of time. With so much rapid change happening in the news… Continue reading 3 Ways To Keep Your Energy and Mental Health in Check During Quarantine

Acupuncture and Surgery: Relieve Anxiety Before and Reduce Discomfort After

Acupuncture is part of an ancient system of Chinese medicine that has been used for more than 2,500 years to treat disease and relieve pain by restoring balance to the flow of energy (“qi”) through the body. Acupuncture theory believes that this qi moves throughout the body along twelve main channels (“meridians”) that represent the… Continue reading Acupuncture and Surgery: Relieve Anxiety Before and Reduce Discomfort After

No Pandemic Shutdown for Scammers

COVID-19 may have shut down portions of the economy and put restrictions on Americans’ daily lives, but cyber scams and other efforts to defraud people continue to thrive. Scammers are tapping into the uncertainty related to the global pandemic. They are using social engineering to target people with tactics that take advantage of today’s technology.… Continue reading No Pandemic Shutdown for Scammers

Reclaiming Sun Damaged and Age Related Skin Spots

Whatever we call them – sunspots, age spots, liver spots, or solar lentigines – nobody wants them. Some people may like a summer glow, but nobody likes the dark spots that show up years later and make us look older. In terms of the name, ‘sunspots’ or the medical term ‘solar lentigines’ actually pinpoint the… Continue reading Reclaiming Sun Damaged and Age Related Skin Spots

Is There an Upside to Viruses?

It’s time we got in on the conversation, the one that’s happening inside of our bodies. If we better understood the surprising science of how very different cells—bacteria, brain cells, blood cells, gut cells—and viruses all speak to each other, we might better grasp the inner workings of COVID-19 and other life threatening diseases. We… Continue reading Is There an Upside to Viruses?

Give Your Landscape a Late Summer Facelift

Whether it is the hot weather, the age of your landscape or simply the need for change; a late summer makeover can help you increase your landscape’s beauty. Put the “wow” back into your garden with a few new plantings, garden art, or other simple improvements.   Many established landscapes have a few or many… Continue reading Give Your Landscape a Late Summer Facelift

Coping with Grief Over Lost Opportunities and Connections During a Pandemic

Grief is a common topic I am seeing in my therapy patients and first, we have to know we have permission to grieve during the pandemic and grief comes in many forms. Grief ranges from disappointment and sadness to frustration and anger. People are disappointed by having to reschedule events like weddings, sad about not… Continue reading Coping with Grief Over Lost Opportunities and Connections During a Pandemic

Managing Expectations for Breast Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction has come a long way. Advances in surgical technique have made it possible to use a woman’s own tissue to construct a breast that is soft and warm and often very similar to the breast she has lost to mastectomy. This “autologous reconstruction” has become the gold standard in breast reconstruction and can even… Continue reading Managing Expectations for Breast Reconstruction

Temporary Isolation Can Be The Opportunity to Permanently Transform Your Weight and Health

Editor’s Note: Always consult your own physician before embarking on any eating plan. Not sure how to eat and stay healthy this quarantine season without resorting to your familiar diet of spaghetti, bread, pizza, and sugar? I encourage “trophology,” or “food combining,” which is one of the foundations of my Data-Driven Fueling Plan. As you combine foods,… Continue reading Temporary Isolation Can Be The Opportunity to Permanently Transform Your Weight and Health

4 Tips For Avoiding Hair Loss in Stressful (and Other) Times

People go partially or fully bald for any number of reasons – hormones, genetics and aging, among others – but since National Hair Loss Awareness Month arrives this August in the middle of a pandemic-fueled recession, one factor is taking center stage. Stress. Stress certainly can contribute to hair loss because it can affect hormone… Continue reading 4 Tips For Avoiding Hair Loss in Stressful (and Other) Times

Protect Your Skin When Gardening

Gardening provides many benefits but like any outdoor activity it’s important to protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays.   More than 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year and most are associated with exposure to the ultraviolet rays from the sun. And even though it’s the most common form of cancer… Continue reading Protect Your Skin When Gardening

How Dental Offices Are Protecting Patients and Staff During the Pandemic

It’s not exactly business as usual for the dental industry – or patients – as offices reopen for routine care amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of the virus has brought several changes, some of which may be permanent, in how dental offices protect their employees and patients. Dentists have always prioritized safety, but now… Continue reading How Dental Offices Are Protecting Patients and Staff During the Pandemic

Masks Can Pose Challenges for People With Hearing Loss

With COVID-19 cases on the rise in many parts of the country and health officials urging vigilant use of masks as protection, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is providing advice for people with and without hearing loss to help everyone communicate while their faces are covered. Masks can make communication difficult, especially for the approximately… Continue reading Masks Can Pose Challenges for People With Hearing Loss

“Should I Have My Breast Implants Removed?”

Chrissy Teigen, model, television personality and author, had her breast implants removed in June of 2020, citing that they had served her well but that she no longer wanted them and that she wanted her breasts to reflect her true dress size. Over the last several years, plastic and reconstructive surgeons have received calls from… Continue reading “Should I Have My Breast Implants Removed?”

Aging & Financial Fragility: How Seniors Can Use Their Experience to Survive & Thrive Through Giving

“Good judgement comes from experience…unfortunately experience comes through bad judgement.” These  words of wisdom came from my father, a depression era baby who was very pragmatic. He constantly tried to guide me to protect myself in what he called a “dog-eat-dog” jungle out there. Certainly, seniors need to be very aware and cautious of “get… Continue reading Aging & Financial Fragility: How Seniors Can Use Their Experience to Survive & Thrive Through Giving

Plastic Surgery In a Pandemic World: Safety Protocols Your Doctor Should Use

People still want to look their best – even when few are looking at them. As the pandemic continues and social distancing remains an important public safety measure, cosmetic surgery is resuming across the country. The elective medical procedure was prohibited in most states throughout the peak months of the pandemic, but the phasing in… Continue reading Plastic Surgery In a Pandemic World: Safety Protocols Your Doctor Should Use

Is There a “Cancer Diet”?

In the wake of a cancer diagnosis, many patients realize that their diet may have contributed to their disease. Cancer is sometimes considered the “rich person’s disease” because high rates of cancer correlates with high amounts of meat, dairy, and sugar in the diet. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that points to diet… Continue reading Is There a “Cancer Diet”?