The Power of Shame By blog I have always wondered at the power of shame to shape our worlds. So much so, that when I began my six month counseling internship at a rehab hospital, I knew within weeks that my M.A. thesis would be about shame. We have so much shame in our culture around aging and disability! In my thesis I explain the Chinese word for I’m sorry: σ»╣Σ╕ìΦ╡╖, which means literally “I cannot look up at you.” That’s exactly what shame feels like.
How to Age Beautifully and Gracefully By blog Aging beautifully and gracefully is all about accepting the aging process and embracing it. As we feel great on the inside, we look fabulous on the outside too. Wrinkles and lines add character, softened skin glows as we move with ease through life. Enjoy my advice on making choices that will help you stay healthy and happy so you can, in turn, age beautifully and gracefully. Live in a Place of Gratitude
Five Sex-Positive Results of Celibacy By Jane Farrell blog Let’s define celibacy versus abstinence. The terms are often used interchangeably, yet for the purposes of this article, they are two different concepts. According to the website Wait Until Marriage, abstinence is defined as the absence of sexual intercourse, whereas celibacy is the avoidance of all forms of sexual activity. People who abstain from sex often date, kiss and have oral sex. Abstinence is a method of managing potential STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Many people of faith also want to wait until marriage to engage in full sexual relations. Celibacy is a way of being that avoids all sexual situations. This can often demand the avoidance of dating altogether, as it did for me.
_ Meditation Can Give Your Brain A Rest By Jane Farrell article If you’re doing focused meditation, your brain is in effect giving itself a bit of a rest. Norwegian and Australian researchers, examining brain activity via an MRI, found that concentrated meditation, in which a subject focuses on breathing and works to suppress other thoughts, showed a brain activity level that was almost the same as the brain resting.
Aging Well Geroscience, The Study of Age-Related Health Issues By article A new collection of articles appearing in May 2014 in The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences focuses on how the basic biology of aging drives chronic disease. Together, they highlight the value of the emerging field of geroscience, which uses an integrated approach to the study of diseases and disability associated with growing older.
Antidepressant May Slow Alzheimer's By article Citalopram (brandname Celexa), a commonly prescribed antidepressant, can reduce production of the main ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaques. That is the finding research done at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pennsylvania. The study was published May 14th 2014 in Science Translational Medicine.
_ Food Expiration Dates: What's Safe, What's Not By Jane Farrell article You stand in front of the refrigerator staring at a “sell by” date on food and have the internal debate: Do I throw it in the trash or take my chances? You’re not the only one. Upwards of 91 percent of consumers have thrown food out based on the dates on packaging. But the dating system isn’t as clear as it seems. Nobody wants food poisoning — no fun — but few people want to waste food, either. Let’s get some clarity.
_ The Molecule That Works Against You By Jane Farrell article Researchers have determined exactly how a “molecular motor” drives a process that invades cells. That finding could be crucial in combating viral infections. In the study, researchers from the University of California Berkeley reached new conclusions on how a type of molecular motor is used to “package” the DNA of a number of viruses, including herpes and adenoviruses. Once the DNA is packaged in the virus, it can invade the body and cause infection.
_ Exercise Health & Fitness Injury Prevention & Treatment Debunking Injury Prevention and Treatment Myths By Sondra Forsyth article By Sondra Forsyth
Aging Well Well-being A Sense of Purpose May Add Years to Your Life By article Feeling that you have a sense of purpose in life may help you live longer, no matter what your age, according to research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research has clear implications for promoting positive aging and adult development, according to lead researcher Patrick Hill of Carleton University in Canada:
Grounding (Earthing): The Easiest Way to Fight Stress By blog We all know that the world is becoming more stressful every day. We worry about the economy, another war in a place we’ve never heard of, our parents getting old and dying, the well-being of our children, our own health. Sometimes it seems like our lives are one endless series of stresses. The bad news is that stress is on the rise and it’s causing major problems for many of us. The good news is that there are simple ways to combat stress and get back in control of our lives.
Longevity Gene May Be a Brain Booster By article If you’re lucky, you inherited a longevity gene that will up your chances of living to a ripe old age. Better yet, scientists at the University of California San Francisco have shown that people who have a variant of a longevity gene called KLOTHO are blessed with superior brain skills such as thinking, learning, and memory regardless of their age, sex, or even whether they have a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Caregiving Without An Attitude By blog A few months ago, I attended a memory loss conference and encountered what I refer to as an “Alpha Alzheimer’s Caregiver.” I’ll call her Deborah.
_ Free Radicals May Be Good Guys After All By article Free radicals, the sometimes-toxic molecules produced by our bodies as we process oxygen, have received a lot of bad press claiming that they are they are the culprits behind aging. Yet a number of studies have found evidence that the opposite may be true. Most recently, researchers at McGill University in Montreal have shown that free radicals promote longevity in the roundworm C. elegans. Surprisingly, the team discovered that free radicals – also known as oxidants – act on a molecular mechanism that, in other circumstances, tells a cell to kill itself.
_ Breast Cancer Misguided Fear of Radiation from Mammograms By article Misinformation and misunderstanding about the risks associated with ionizing radiation have created heightened public concern and fear that may result in women avoiding mammograms that can detect early cancers, according to the American Roentgen Ray Society(ARRS), a radiology society was founded in 1900 in Leesburg, VA.
_ Mental & Emotional Health A Healthcare Team Helps Women Beat Depression By article A collaborative approach to depression counseling for women at obstetrics and gynecology clinics involving psychiatrists, clinicians, specialists, and depression care managers is an improvement over typical of mental health care at specialty clinics. That is the finding of a study done at the University of Washington and published May 7th 2014 in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. A release from the university notes that approximately one-third of American women list an obstetrician/gynecologist as their primary physician.
"Energy Source" Implicated in Dementia By Jane Farrell article Researchers now know that a specific energy source is crucial to cells that maintain cognitive function. That discovery could lead to a better understanding of the cognitive decline in illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. The source, NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), is a molecule that harvests energy from nutrients in food and converts into a usable form for cells.
Why Seniors Get Addicted to Drugs By Jane Farrell article For older people who have chronic conditions or find themselves in a lot of pain temporarily, medicine can be a godsend that vastly improves quality of life. But senior citizens may find it all too easy to abuse prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Just because such medicines are bought in drugstores rather than on the street, say, doesn’t mean that they are any less dangerous. Overuse of drugs can lead to additional health problems, family problems, and even fatalities.