Healthy Aging

Previous Columns

• Enough with the negative - 5/12/2013

  It all started when I purchased a cherry-red wall clock for our kitchen. It spoke to me.

• Small things to do for you - 5/5/2013

  The moment I sat down at my computer to write this column, an email popped onto my screen from WebMD.

• Like, you know, some words are overused - 4/28/2013

  I've concluded that certain words and phrases in the English language are so overused they've become irksome to the ear.

• Remember this about remembering - 4/21/2013

  I've written about this before, I think. I can't remember things very well lately.

• One kitchen at a time: Hands out of the cookie jar - 4/14/2013

  I was captivated when I saw the term "your kitchen as a health center." It was used by architect and social innovator Susi Stadler, who hosts a provocative blog at www.AtHomeWithGrowingOld.com.

• Positive in life, one day at a time - 4/7/2013

  We met him in the dungeon-like parking lot of a Seattle hotel garage.

• You can break the epidemic of isolation as you age - 3/31/2013

  The term of the week is "gobsmacked." As in, "I was gobsmacked when my son asked me at what age I thought I might want to go into a nursing home."

• A tape measure could save your life - 3/24/2013

  Every one of us needs to keep a tape measure available. That simple yellow tool, available for less than $4 in drug and hardware stores, could save your life.

• Aging adults must focus on colorectal cancer risk - 3/17/2013

  A few years ago, I wrote a column about the importance of getting enough fiber in your diet. I included the benefits of doing so, citing relevant research.

• Know it. Fight it. End it. - 3/10/2013

  In the young man's "hero story," he talked about being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He repeatedly said, "Know it. Fight it. End it." His tale was sobering.

• Say it aloud: 'Everyone is the age of their heart' - 3/3/2013

  Let's pretend for a moment you're 90 years of age. If you are, in fact, already that age, this exercise will be much easier for you.

• Brains too busy trying to hear may let memory slip - 2/24/2013

  Do you have issues with your hearing, such as difficulty engaging in conversations with family and friends? An inability to hear a television program without the volume turned way up?

• Clear out the clutter - 2/17/2013

  A few years ago, my sister decided to narrow her wardrobe to seven items of clothing.

• Don't forget to wash your hands - 2/10/2013

  "In this week's column, I am going to share something very personal," I tell my husband as I begin to write.

• A good book can stay with you forever - 2/3/2013

  What are you reading? I just completed "The End of Your Life Book Club" by Will Schwalbe. It begins with that question.

• A plan to age 'in a home of our own' - 1/27/2013

  Over the last few months, my husband and I have hosted a series of dinner parties in our home in Jacksonville. We call them "dp-fgs" or dinner party/focus groups.

• Small steps now can pay health dividends later - 1/20/2013

  We all have them: food weaknesses.

• The world welcomes a 'miracle' baby - 1/13/2013

  I'm using this column to announce the birth of a most remarkable baby. All babies are, of course, but this one happens to be mine. Well, sort of.

  
• Cinematic lessons from our heroes - 12/30/2012

  If you spent the Christmas holiday with grandchildren, there may have been a movie involved.

• It's an international twist on the holidays - 12/23/2012

  If you're of Norwegian descent, I know what you're eating this holiday season.