August 26, 2009
Longevity
Welcome to the Antiaging Extra. This e-zine will offer extra information on antiaging including news items, product suggestions and recipes each month. Looking for more antiaging tips and tricks? Check out the articles below as well as some suggested links. Don't look your age - Look younger!
If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a big favor and "pay it forward." Feel free to forward it.
If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting
my website.
August 2009, Issue # 12
Table of Contents
In this issue you'll find:
- Longevity
- In the News - Have Friends, Live Longer
- A Tan Without the Risks
- Longevity Means Longer Retirement
- Bread and Butter Pickles
Longevity
You see it on the news. You read about it in the papers and magazines. Longevity - how can we achieve it? Although you can't stop the aging process, you can feel better and look younger while you age. Personally, I don't mind getting older, I just don't want to look like it or get creaky bones.So how do you achieve a healthy longevity? All the research points to the same things, a healthy diet, exercise and healthy living.
Okay, okay! You've heard it all before. But it does bear repeating. Here are some basic tips.
- Eat Right - Eat more fruits and veggies. Eat less sugary foods and reduce red meat consumption. Add spices to your foods. And give up soda pop. If you can't do anything else, at least quick drinking sugary chemicals. (Oops, time to get off the soapbox.)
- Watch your sun exposure - We all need a little sun. It keeps us happy and our bodies need it to make vitamin D. But we only need about 10 -15 minutes a day for this. Use sunscreen if you are out in the sun for longer periods of time.
- Reduce Toxins - First reduce toxins in your food. Eat organic whenever possible. Stop drinking soda pop (did I say that already?) Reduce toxins on your body. Make sure you are using personal care products without "junk" in them. There's a list of unhealthy ingredients on the website. Consider adding a detox program to your life occasionally.
- Stop Smoking - Speaking of toxins, this is a big one. Did you know that smoking actually causes wrinkles around the mouth and lips. Yuck. No amount of lotions or potions is going to help. Stop smoking!
There is a lot more information on these tips as well as other things you can do to increase longevity. However, this is a newsletter and I need to keep it short. Want to read more? Visit the Antiaging Tips page on my website.
In the News - Have Friends, Live Longer
I was reading through some articles the other day when I happened upon one that talked about an Australian longevity study. This 10-year study of people 70 years old and older found that friendships had an effect on longevity.One antiaging strategy is to reduce stress. Friends can help with that. Spending time with friends, laughing and just having a great time can minimize stressful feelings. The study found that friends were even more important than family in extending life.
With the inception of the internet, the world getting smaller. It is now possible to make friends all over the world. You can keep in touch through email and social network sites. Even better, you can make friends locally through clubs, civic groups and religious organizations.
The study found that those with more friends lived 22% longer than those with only a few friends. So go out and make friends.
A Tan Without the Risks
Summer is almost over in North America. Here in the U.S., labor day signals the end of vacation season and the kids are back to school. Did you get a healthy tan this summer? If you used a sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, then you did. Do you want to keep that healthy glow through the fall and winter? Don't resort to tanning beds. Those rays are just as harmful if not worse than the sun's.If you want to keep that tan, or start a new one, consider a tanning spray. Be sure to choose one that doesn't include harmful ingredients. I recommend Made in the Shade Self Tanner from Arbonne International. At $28, this self-tanner can help develop a deep tan without the harmful rays or ingredients for a reasonable cost. One of my friends used this product to build a tan for a December wedding. She looked like she spent time in the Caribbean.
Longevity Means Longer Retirement
One problem associated with longevity is the possibility of a longer retirement. WAIT A MINUTE! That's a bad thing? After all, extra years to travel or spend on a hobby sounds wonderful. That's true, but how are you going to pay for it? As life-spans increase, the funds necessary to live also increase.If you have a good job with a great pension plan, talk to your financial planner to see if you have enough funds for a long retirement. You may need to make some adjustments.
One way to decrease stress and increase funds for retirement is to own your own business and to work at home. This may sound like a pipe dream, but it isn't. It is possible to build a business from home. Don't go looking for a get rich quick scheme. The only ones who get rich are those perpetuating the scheme. A real online business takes work, but for those who take the time and put in the effort, it is possible.
No matter how you plan for retirement, be sure to plan. Otherwise, you may find yourself looking for little jobs to supplement your retirement income rather than enjoying yourself.
Bread and Butter Pickles
One of the great things about summer is all the fresh vegetables. This is a great time of year to process your own "groceries." My husband and I make bread and butter pickles every year. These pickles are very popular in the Pennsylvania Dutch country where I live. Traditional recipes call for refined sugar. Try this one with honey instead. Use organic spices from Frontier Natural Products Co-op. They'll add spice to your recipes naturally and organically.30 medium-sized cucumbers
10 medium-sized onions
3 green peppers
4 tablespoons sea salt
5 cups vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups honey
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons mustard seed
Slice cucumbers, onions and green peppers and sprinkle with salt. Let stand one hour. Drain in cheesecloth bag.
Combine last six ingredients and bring to a boil. Add cucumber mixture, and bring to a boiling point. Pack in jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust seals and process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this zine and tell me what you think!