WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR AUGUST 2024

grandmallie

Well I caught up..chatty bunch aren't we..
Boy I tell ya.. im sure going to be busy for the next month or so..
Poor Doris has to have some laser eye surgery tuesday and needs a pre op stop into the drs office monday,and then Wednesday a follow up..and then in September there is the other eye dr ,between her appointments and mine I'll be like a whirling dervish 😆
But hey keeps me out of trouble.

kymarai

HeatherUK Insurance depends on sex and age. Males under 25 can add about $200 a month. Females under 25 around $100 a month. Over age 25, it evens out more. Public transportation is not the norm here in smaller areas.

The kids will be responsible for paying each of their differences. The granddaughter more so since she added her car.

Hair colored. Helped a friend with her string trimmer. Cleaned up kitten mess. Now will get something done after I eat.

Love,
Kylia

dlfk202000

Machka9 wrote: »

[quote="

I've got bamboo sheets and pillow cases that are supposed to be nice and cool ... I've yet to put them on the bed.

I've been looking for cool sheets and other cooling things at night.




[



M in Oz

We have some of the cooling blankets we got on Amazon- they have been running great sales on them lately- They work really well.

OregonMother

Heather --

As Kylia said, unfortunately public transportation sucks here in the US unless you live in Chicago or New York. (Maybe Atlanta?) We live in the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Oregon, and while there is a bus, that is it, and I don't think it's very safe or convenient. You might be able to manage in Portland without a car -- there is a tram and bus service, but I don't know how reliable or safe it is.

A car is a necessity, so the expense just has to be accepted.

Flea
Willamette Valley, OR

pipcd34

634634

skuehn48

Snowflake1968

Lisa - Sorry you had a bad day yesterday, I hope today was better.
Machka - it’s funny how we all need different things to have a happy work life.
I like the chance to have either quiet or company.

Heather - Max looks much like your son these days. I guess Jonah’s voice will be changing soon too. I think Max is a few months older than him.
I would be suspicious of my girls called me too.

Kylia - Thank goodness you worked in the attic!

Margaret- I always read what you write about what you’re learning about food. I need to start adopting some of it. I am way too fussy to embrace all of the changes you have made but there are a few I could incorporate for sure.
Beautiful flowers.

Barbie - it’s great that your daughter was able to find a helpful service for you. Are you able to claim the cost on taxes for that?

Lanette - I think of how our grandparents ate as well. My maternal grandmother watched her weight religiously, every Sunday she weighed herself and if she was over 110 had half a grapefruit for breakfast every day that week. She didn’t eat a lot of processed foods, but ate out in restaurants as often as she could. Probably 5-6 times a week. She ate 3 meals a day and didn’t snack. She lived to 95.
My paternal grandmother and that side of the family mostly lived well into their 90’s. They drank buttermilk, made ice cream, didn’t go without sweets and desserts. None of them ever got diabetes and they were all thicker waists.
I don’t know what we’re supposed to do, I think we have to do what’s best for us and what makes us feel well, but I think the thing that really helped our ancestors was staying busy and active. They all seemed to get “old” when their activity levels lessened and they quit having as much family and people around.

We are dependent on cars here as well. In the actual city you used to be able to get around pretty easily, but the transit system isn’t what it once was, they have moved a lot of routes out to main streets which leaves people having to walk a lot further to catch it. Also, it has become quite unsafe because the city has provided free passes to the homeless. A lot of drugs being taken on the busses now.
Where I live there is a transit for early morning and late afternoon, I tried to see how it would work for me if I needed it to get to the city and I would have had to leave 2.5 hours early to get there on time, by driving I could do it in 20 - 30 minutes depending on traffic.

Off to bed!
I stayed up a little late after ceramics to catch up with you lovelies.

Tracey in Edmonton

mcmillonmail

I got a call from the nursing home asking if I could donate some clothes to my mom. I wondered if she was out of clothes. She said she had lost weight and didn't need the clothes, so I thanked her. I have a cart of Lands End for my mom for fall/winter clothes. They found a way to get my mom to bathe. They call it her "Spa Day". I can cancel her foot doctor appointment; now they have one to look at their residents. So, she had her toenails clipped. I feel guilty for not working out very much this week. I will try to do better. I did stick to my calories today. I said no to the wrong foods. Another neighbor came by to talk to me, but my window to work out was gone. My dog is exhausted from playing. I slept today while Rose was at daycare. My headache was terrible. I took my Excedrin migraine and had the diffuser on with my essential oils. I even put on the headache guru stuff on my temples and forehead. I woke up trying to remove the sheets and wash them. I organized the drawers at my desk. I cleaned the stairs.

Annie, you are doing a great job with your dad. You are so patient. I remember those days when we heard the alarm at night when my mom opened the door. It was so unsafe. Thank goodness for the
alarm system. My friend is going through this with her sister. Assisted care for her sister is 8,000 per month in Chicago. Ouch! Do not be hard on yourself with the weight. This is a significant weight on your shoulders. Praying for you, my friend.

Kylia, thank you for being so sweet. I am happy you found your husband's heart trinket.

Machka, I am thinking about downsizing now to make the move easier. I am throwing things out now. I need to do this test you all are talking about.

Lisa, are you anemic with this blood loss? Take it easy.

Take care everyone. I better go to bed now. The melatonin is hitting me hard. Talk to you all tomorrow.

cityjaneLondon

My new book has been on my mind increasingly as I am recovering. I haven't looked at it since before the second operation. This morning, I woke up with a few thoughts churning through my brain. A couple of simple sentences formed.
I decided to get them down in my app on my tablet. I find it less daunting, and more like random notes, than trying to organise unformed thoughts in a Word document on my laptop. That comes later.
So I had a tiny little 'scribble' and produced some words for the first time since before the first op. Good feeling.
Now I need to do a little bit of research into the early universe, just to remind me of the general picture. It's not a science book, but I don't want to get it completely wrong, so people are shouting as they read it!

I had no idea I was going to write today, and normally stick to a schedule which involves writing later in the morning. But here I am. Happy.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

Machka9

margaretturk wrote: »

A variety of plants is key too! Aiming for 30-40 different plants, herbs, spices in a week. One went on to say if you have that 30-40 you are more than likely to be in better health if it is less than five you are more than likely to have a health issue.

If like most people in US your consumption is low it is best to start out slow. The goal is to gradually increase this variety. I am up to that 30-40 different plants in my diet. It took 4 months for me but when I started I had at least 10-20 in a week so it went a bit faster for me.

A while back, a few of us began listing the plants we consumed.

Every work day, I have 2 servings of vegetables at lunch. These usually consist of some combination of broccoli, carrots, peas or snowpeas, green beans and corn.

Just about every work evening, I have 2-3 servings of vegetables at dinner. These usually consist of some combination of broccoli, carrots, peas or snowpeas, green beans, corn, brussel sprouts and possibly other things like mustard greens, sweet potatoes, potatoes, broad beans, and more.

One of my snacks at work is usually fruit - apples, mandarin oranges, kiwi fruit, bananas. A couple of my favourite at home snacks are mangoes when they're in season and pears. I'll add Nishi pears, grapes, apricots, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew, pineapple, and lychee when they're in season. A number of those things are grown in our garden.

About every other week, I have dried cranberries with my yogurt.

I have a few grain crackers for breakfast - grains are plants.

Part of my lunch is rice.

About every other week, I have pepitas with my lunch.

Part of my dinner is usually rice or pasta.

And then there's coffee and tea.


Machka in Oz

cityjaneLondon

Herbs and spices count too.
I easily reach over 30 plants a week. I have lots of different nuts and seeds in my breakfast. As well as different berries and fruits. Salad stuff in my lunchtime sandwich, and a different vegetable or two, or three or more every night with dinner. A big heap. Onions, garlic, tomato sauce. It all counts. Coffee. Tea. ......

Heather UK xxxxxxxx

LisaInArkansas

Heather - Thank you. My mental state wasn't terribly good yesterday when I stopped in here, but that next two-hour nap seemed to make a big difference. Was actually hungry for dinner for the first time in a few days, and didn't feel nauseous after a few bites, also helpful! 🤪😁 Max will soon be asking to be called "Maximilian," and growing a beard... Hard to believe, isn't it?

Monique - Thank you. Hard to tell if I pushed myself back into anemia, but I looked very pale in the mirror, and slept for more than 12 hours yesterday, between night-time sleep and naps! I suspect my temporary supplies of iron were pretty taxed. I do take iron twice a day every day, along with vitamin C for absorption, so hopefully will build it back quite quickly. Your headache sounds awful - hope you're doing better today as well.

Tracey - Thank you, darlin'. I do feel like I've woken up on a new day this morning... Lots of sleep is making a huge difference. How are you sleeping these first days in your new job? Hope all continues well.

Allie - Don't let serving everyone else push you too too hard. Three days a week with the new baby? Isn't Tracy staying home for a while? Three days in a row is a LOT for you.

---

Well, as you can tell by that rattling, I dragged myself out of the Slough of Despond (Little Women reference) and woke up feeling quite a bit better this morning. Corey's first alarm just sounded and I'll be waving him off to work in a half hour, and the day's my own.

Hope it's a good Thursday for all...

Love,
Lisa in AR

Machka9

SophieRosieMom wrote: »

That life span calculator was interesting. I came in at 102. I think there's plenty of wiggle room, but at least points out lifestyle habits that might be detrimental. I'm hoping more for good quality of life more than length of life at this stage.

Nutrition vs. genetics (lots of this I've already rambled on about a lot in this group, so please skip if you don't want to hear it again, lol.)

I'm thinking about what the "experts" are saying these days about physical and brain health as we age. I think in some cases, genetics actually wins out, supported by good nutrition, physical activity and especially avoidance of bad habits. My long-lived (into mid 90's) grandmothers were mentally sharp until the end. Big waists and hips. One grandmother physically active until she moved from the farm, but still hung wash on the line, continually mopped, vacuumed and cleaned house. Up and down flights of stairs. The other was in a wheelchair during the last decade of her life due to arthritis and weight problems, but still was able to live alone, do light housekeeping, cook and bathe just fine. They both ate plenty of pies, ice cream, cookies, noodles, beef, chicken, pork, eggs, not many beans except kidney beans, maybe twice a month in a salad with miracle whip. They ate lots of diary. They cooked with lard, ate butter and margarine, white wonder bread, bacon, ham and other cured meats. Never any olive oil or garlic, rarely ate any kind of fish and never even tasted an avocado. They didn't drink or smoke.

Rarely ate sauerkraut, never any yogurt or other probiotic foods I eat now to support my microbiome. They didn't drink soda pop so never had a steady diet of high fructose corn syrup, but drank tea and coffee with sugar. Don't recall them taking vitamins although my maternal grandmother got Vit. B12 shots, and my own doctor speculated my mother's dementia might have stemmed from a B12 deficiency.

On the flip side, my paternal grandfather had T2 diabetes, as did his father. He had a sugar addiction. Drank pop and craved sweets. Still, he was a farmer and was physically active into his later years. His diet could have been better - see what grandma put on the table, above. But still, I don't remember him having vision problems or peripheral neuropathy, slow wound healing or other symptoms of T2. He died of a heart attack in his mid-80's while on the tractor. (He stopped it first.) He made a choice - he was not willing to trade the delicious foods grandmother prepared for what might have been a longer life. Since T2 didn't seem to be impacting his health (other than probably contributing to the heart attack), maybe it was the right decision for him.

What got me off on this tangent was an article I read this morning by Valter Longo who emphasized the Mediterranean diet as being close to perfect. That combined with a fasting mimicking diet 5 days a month - a program he sells "Prolon". He advises no red meat, hardly any white meat, mostly fish and then plant sources of protein like beans and nuts.

The Mediterranean diet enthusiasts probably would have predicted my grandmothers dead of heart attacks by the age of 60 .

Dr. Cate Shanahan and the Weston Price Foundation tend to look at the way our healthy grandparents ate as a guide, and I think there's merit.

Lanette
SW WA State

A lot of these "grandparent" examples have a common theme: exercise. Staying active.

My grandparents and great grandparents on my mother's side all lived into their late 80s and 90s.

They ate the typical meat and 3 veg, with homemade bread on the side and fruit for dessert, most of which came from their land or community gardens or local farms. There was hardly any processed food and definitely no white wonderbread! Actually reasonably close to the Mediterranean diet. Perhaps a bit more red meat and less fish than recommended, but otherwise pretty close.

They were also all quite active right up to near the time when they passed. I remember that my grandmother had a hip replacement (or maybe both) in 2002 when she was 81. I visited her when she at about 6 weeks post surgery and she was motoring down the street with her walker (walking briskly with her walker) on the way to the shops. I had to put some effort in to keep up with her!

BTW - the only way I eat avocado is in the form of guacamole. I don't like the taste or texture of avocado without being mashed and blended with spices.


Regarding the Mediterranean diet ...

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan
There are no concrete rules for following the Mediterranean diet, but general guidelines can help you incorporate its principles into your daily routine.
The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods of countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Spain, Greece, and Italy.

Foods to eat (for example)
Vegetables: tomatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips
Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, strawberries, grapes, dates, figs, melons, peaches
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, peanut butter
Legumes: beans, peas, lentils, pulses, peanuts, chickpeas
Whole grains: oats, brown rice, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, whole wheat bread and pasta
Fish and seafood: salmon, sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, shrimp, oysters, clams, crab, mussels
Poultry: chicken, duck, turkey
Eggs: chicken, quail, and duck eggs
Dairy: cheese, yogurt, milk
Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper
Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados, and avocado oil

Foods to limit (for example)
Added sugar: added sugar is found in many foods but especially high in soda, candies, ice cream, table sugar, syrup, and baked goods
Refined grains: white bread, pasta, tortillas, chips, crackers
Trans fats: found in margarine, fried foods, and other processed foods
Processed meat: processed sausages, hot dogs, deli meats, beef jerky
Highly processed foods: fast food, convenience meals, microwave popcorn, granola bars


More info from these reliable sites:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/16037-mediterranean-diet

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324221


I eat something along the lines of the Mediterranean diet with a bit more of a Vegetarian lean, and if I do consume meat, I go with poultry rather than fish most of the time. It's a diet I feel very comfortable with and it makes me feel good.

And of course ... exercise.


Machka in Oz

kymarai

Anniesquats100

Good morning beautiful ladies!

Machka congratulations on the reformer! A new chapter in your exercise journey.

Barbie Yay for rides!

Margaret I love your flowers! And your enthusiasm is inspiring.

Lisa glad you feel better.

Heather look at you go! Getting down and up from the floor, and writing! Yay!

Monique thank you for the encouragement. And sorry about your headache. Is it from muscle tension? Or migraine? Or sinus? I get migraines from passing weather fronts but they aren't as bad as they used to be.

Well, we went to Dairy Queen yesterday because Dad had a gift card. So much for my diet.

The tricky thing about the door alarm is that Dad doesn't really wander yet. I have to stop him from walking for exercise in the morning, but the rest of the time he is okay. I heard him go outside last night and he was just putting the lawnmower away. So he has free use of the yard, I just keep an eye out for him leaving the yard. It's tricky, and when he gets worse we will have to tighten up.

Today his back hurts again so he is unlikely to walk out. He has a new puzzle book.

As for me, I need to get to the bank, then I have horseback riding later. I have my larger jeans to wear.

I'm reading a different series by Toni Anderson. I really loved her Cold Justice books, but these aren't as entertaining. Probably more realistic. They focus more on the effects of violence and less on the pleasure of a new romance. It's a tricky balance to get right in a romantic suspense novel.

Plus there's an industry trend of the leading lady being truly nasty, going overboard with the independent strong women aspect. I still never tell people to "shut up" so maybe I am outdated. But I still think you can stand up for yourself without being mean. Another tricky balance.

Anyway, have a marvelous day! May you all be happy, healthy, safe and free!

Annie in Delaware

pipcd34

625635

barbiecat

margaretturk

Another factor that for both my mom and dad who both lived to their 90's was there childhoods were spent in areas of less pollution. Dad was in a small Minnesota town and my mom in India where she was sent to a boarding school that was in a healthier climate. The missionaries that came before my grandparents lost many of their children due to the areas they were living in.

My mom lived to 98. Up to age 96 she lived independently. She had a strong social and support system and I believe that is what helped her live longer. She also had a wonderful sense of humor! She also ate slowly and really chewed her food. Her diet wasn't always the best and she did have some health issues as a result. Congestive heart, osteoporosis, cataracts at age 57. Still at age 80 she climbed the steps of the Parthenon in Greece!

I don't know how many more days I will be given here on this earth I just know I feel lucky to be here now feeling as good as I do. I am sitting at the breakfast table and enjoying looking out at my large patch of white phlox. Ahh yes life is good!

Lisa I hope you have a better day today!

Machka9

I missed a SIG (Special Interest Group) meeting last week, so I watched it today. Right at the beginning, the presenter asked these questions which I thought were kind of interesting and so I thought I would share them here if others would like to think about them, write something, or ignore them entirely.

List the following:

• 3 wins in past 36 hours
- presentation at work
- solving something I put into the "too hard" basket a few months ago
- ticking off a few work-related "to do" items


• 3 areas for improvement in past 36 hours
- saying ‘um’ in presentation
- figuring out that one final thing from the "too hard" basket. I'm pulling my hair out!
- climbing more stairs


•1 thing I am grateful for today
- quiet house


• 1 Intention for today
- solve the whole "too hard" problem


•1 thing I am excited about ... I don't get excited. It's never good to get excited. I feel like I'm just setting myself up for disaster. But ... I guess ...
- setting up house


• 3 Things I would like to have happen if the day were to play out the way I would like it
- solve the whole "too hard" problem
- have the energy to do laundry and do a noticeable amount of unpacking
- not eat so much



Machka in Oz

margaretturk

3 wins...Had a healthier meal when I went out to eat with my son, roof here completed and paid for, staying on track with diet

3 improvements son's deck project still in progress, windows cleaning still in progress, more strength training needed

Grateful for DrewB my dog and friends

Intention to keep learning and having an open mind

Excited...Going to State Fair next week

Intention...Like to see happen today get DrewB nails clipped, get outside and enjoy a good weather day, continue to work on home projects.