Living Well Etc.

Is He Really Interested or Just Playing the Game? My little story may seem a bit slanted: a bad man taking advantage of a young single mother.  However, the following events could happen to anyone who is lonely and overworked.  Let's begin with a short back story of a young woman who innocently gave a player the right tools to use against her better judgment.  Our young woman wasn't ready for the dating scene.  She is a single mom with two little boys under the age of three.  Between working full time, housework, and baby time until midnight, she had little time to think about men.  Heck, she barely had time to think.  Yet, she was lonely.  Lonely women must send some sort of hormonal signal to those lying-in-wait.  Because he sure picked up on it.  The Player and Miss Lonely Miss Lonely takes her little ones to a daycare where one of the caregivers is a male (yes, introducing the player here).  The buzz is that he is getting married in a month.  So, she feels safe talk

How to Maintain Your Relationship After Retirement Finally, you are both retired and in charge of your destiny, or at least your alarm clock.  You probably looked forward to the allure of the freedom retirement holds.   However, did you consider your mate's ideas about how these days may play out?  Have you made a game plan for spending those many hours in a shared space?  Your vision of retirement living may be quite different from your mate's. To avoid divorce court and to get the most out of your retirement years, let’s discuss some basic rules newly retired couples should consider.  Rule One: Talk Communication is central in all relationships .  Since you are now sharing the same space, speak up when issues and misunderstandings arise.  Now is the time to learn how to talk to your other half.  Stating in a  Discovery  Fit and Health article, Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D., and Gay Hendricks, Ph. D stress using blameless communication by “speaking in statements of fact tha

Autoimmune Diseases, Menopause, and Young Children...oh my! A good night's sleep is imperative for those of us with autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Sleep interruptions can cause an immune system response worsening our symptoms.  Nevertheless, quality sleep is extremely important for those with healthy immune systems as well.  Interestingly,  women  are most apt to be sleep deprived.  Why and what can we do about it?  Read along to find out. Why is sleep important? According to the  National Institutes of Health uninterrupted, quality sleep is like a magic pill, protecting us mentally and physically.  They even point to the quality of life and safety issues, in that with inadequate sleep we could cause an accident, increase our chances of disease, or cause friction in our relationships.  Additionally, our immune system uses sleep time to heal the body; we are better equipped to fight off infections.  Are mothers at risk? When my children were young, they woke multipl

How to be Healthy, Lean, and Sexy Well into Your Sixties Mountain Climber As a dedicated fan of the '80s spandex-required aerobics television programs, I jogged, jumped, and lunged in front of the screen every morning to maintain my weight.  The programs taught me how to exercise for heart health and flexibility.  I continued with these same exercises for many years because it's enjoyable and it generally works.  However, the older I get, the more difficult it is to exercise without causing injury while also keeping the bulges at bay.  What follows are the exercises I've found to be best for women over 60.    No spandex, but aerobics is still in fashion. Heart disease is a killer of the women in my family, so I include at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercises— Zumba  and  tabata —and at least 40 minutes walking each day.  I often supplement my routine with weight training. Strength training does more than build muscles! Not only can lifting weights maintain mus

  Hot Flashes, Mood Swings, Menopause...Oh My! How a change of life brought my husband and me closer I've had it with menopause!  OK, I've said it.  I've gone through the hot flashes, the mood swings, – oh boy, were those fun – the weight gain, and the fuzzy thinking.  Now, as I'm reaching the end of this sweaty, teary menopausal road and into my postmenopausal years, I wonder if there is a silver — besides my hair — lining waiting for me.  After all, aren’t we told that women over 50 enjoy life more because they've reached their best years?  Uh-huh.  So far, I’m not so sure.  Here's my experience with the menopausal cycle, or as I prefer to call it: my life on the evil roller coaster from hell .  First, Comes the Fire From Within I remember the day so clearly.  To celebrate a special anniversary , my honey and I decided to dine at our favorite restaurant.  It was a special occasion, so I dressed up; my hair and makeup were perfect.  Within seconds of