With aging, scientists have always seemed to study things that decline, but how about those lucky individuals who seem to stay vital well into their 80s and beyond? Here’s some of their latest research advice & six ways how you can add years to your life.
#1 is no surpise – STOP EATING SO MUCH
exception for holidays…please.
This is something I personally have a hard time adhering to. But…
In Okinawa, Japan—home to some of the world’s oldest people—centenarians stop eating when they’re 80 percent full, says The Blue Zones author Dan Buettner, who studies longevity all over the planet.
They’re onto something: Scientists at St. Louis University found that, while both exercising and eating less led to weight loss in the study’s volunteers, cutting calories also lowered production of T3, a thyroid hormone that slows metabolism. The researchers believe that lower T3 levels may also slow the aging process.
#2 – MORE SEX
This might be easier and more fun to follow. And who doesn’t want to live longer? This does not apply to the ones who don’t enjoy it. Just skip to #4. Women who enjoy sex live longer says Mehmet Oz, MD, professor and vice chairman of surgery at New York Presbyterian–Columbia University and co-author of YOU: Being Beautiful. In fact, doubling your amount of satisfying sex can add up to three years to your life, he says. “Sex gives you the Zen moment you can’t find throughout the day otherwise.”
And you know what they say….more Zen, more Men! (No, I just made that up).
#3 – USE YOUR BRAIN
Dr. Geula, who has studied 80-year-olds who perform at the same level as people in their 50s on neuropsychological tests, has found that the superaged have fewer brain tangles—deposits of protein linked to Alzheimer’s—suggesting that their brains have some sort of protection that normal brains don’t. While scientists puzzle this out, there’s a lot you can do to keep your own synapses firing. Learn Italian, take up the cello—even driving a new route to work can wake up sleepy brain cells.
Darn, I’ve been learning the wrong language! I’m in trouble because I don’t even drive to work. Hope walking counts for something because you can walk so many different routes.
#4 – POUR YOUSELF SOME MERLOT
Now we’re talking – something I can follow! You’ve probably heard a lot about resveratrol, a compound in red wine and grape juice that seems to slow aging. One recent study found that resveratrol-fed mice had stronger bones and better motor coordination, and showed fewer “old age” problems like heart disease, inflammation, and cataracts. The jury is still out on whether resveratrol has the same effect on humans, but nutritionists say drinking red wine in moderation (and grape juice for those who can’t) does have heart-healthy benefits. The question is, what is moderation?? Pour me!
#5 – LOSE THE MUFFIN TOP
In one large study published in 2009, researchers who tracked 6,583 people for more than 30 years found that having significant belly fat in midlife can nearly triple your risk of dementia. No wonder so many people suffer from it.
#6 – EAT MORE PLANTS
They should have specified. I tried eating my fern and got sick.
In his study of centenarians, Buettner found the longest-living people tend to eat less meat and more beans, soy, and nuts (but no ferns). This is where it’s good to be a vegetarian.
AND no matter what your age there’s no excuse for not being STYLISH!
Among all the wild animals we found this wild Lily in a pond in S. Africa
“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” – John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in.
“A weed is but an unloved flower.” – Ella Wheeler Wilcox
A space where everything is truly pure and simple.
And white without being stark. It looks very FRENCH (which in itself is a bonus – as in French woman really look after their skin), and it has old world charm. oh, did I forget to say what it is? A certified Organic Boutique and Day Spa right here in Vancouver. A genuine oasis for health and relaxation.
One more thing….the two women who run it are super friendly, not snobby and they liked my dog.
Which is another PLUS factor.
Jaana (left) is a skin care specialist & Claudine (right) is the owner.looking outlooking in
There’s so many things you can say about them….sure, they’re comfortable, sure they’re practical, they bring out your manly side (if you’re a woman) and your womanly side (if you’re a man – kidding!), your love of all things equestrian (even though you can’t remember the last time you were on a horse), and they look good with.…..with what? I’m referring to the original Gucci horsebit although there are plenty of other equally unattractive ones out there.
When I wore mine the other day a friend commented that it looked like something Martha Stewart might wear. No offense Martha, but I would prefer to be compared to your cooking style more than your clothing style. It’s not the same as saying “it’s something Kate Moss would wear” (even though Kate has been seen wearing them on occasion – I did the research). Well guess what? They’re baaack in a big way…but slightly updated with different colours, patterns (including leopard) and a cool studded version (ohhh studs!). Does that make them cooler?
he says “I love you even with your loafers”
So, what do you think? Love them or Leave them? I’d like to know.
If you’re like me you put fresh herbs in everything from egg salad sandwiches to soups and pastas. Even pizza!It really does improve the taste and I love the ritual of cutting a few fresh stems from my herb garden. Well right now my herb garden is not looking so great except for the oregano and thyme (which is thriving since I re-potted them in a huge pot together – they seem to get along very well). I’ve been looking for ways to preserve their freshness for as long as possible. Nothing wrong with using dried but I love garnishing with fresh almost as much as cooking with them. So here’s an idea for preserving your soon-to-be-sad-looking herbs and a recipe for a simple dressing which you can use for everything from coleslaw & cucumber salad to potato salad or simple mixed greens.
Preserving:
Summer might be waning, but your money-saving herb garden can be harvested until the first frost. Preserve those wonderful green bits for winter with these tips.
At the household blog Tipnut, they’ve put together a rather exhaustive list of ways you can preserve the bounty of your summer garden. On top of more traditional methods like hanging herbs to air dry, they have some rather novel approaches to stashing them away for the winter. Want to preserve your more oily herbs as-is, instead of drying them out? Try this trick:
Chop herbs then sprinkle them into ice cube trays (measure into each cube the most common amount you use in cooking). Cover with water and freeze (can also cover with stock or olive oil). Pop them out once they’re frozen, package in freezer bags and store in the freezer (remove as much air as possible from the bags before freezing). When needed for cooking, just take out a cube and pop it in the dish that’s cooking (thawing first is optional–remember to account for the frozen liquid in your recipe). Tip: Try mixing your favorite blends of fresh herbs before freezing.
If you have a consistent stable of recipes, the ice cube trick would be a great way to preserve fresh herbs and oil for easy use.
And now for the low calorie, low-fat RECIPE – Creamy always sounds more fattening right?
Creamy Herbed Dressing
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise (try avocado or southwest)
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 ½ teaspoons dried minced onion or chopped chives
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon or dill (or use both)
1 teaspoon onion salt or celery salt or 1/4 teaspoon of each
White pepper to taste
Preparation: Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, honey, onion or chives, tarragon (or dill) and onion salt (and/or celery salt) in a bowl until well blended. Season with white pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired.
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the dressing for up to 5 days. Stir before using.
Nutritional per Tbsp: 16 measely calories & 1 G FAT
Tell me how you LOVE IT (a switch over from reliable olive oil, balsamic & lemon juice!)
If you were wondering:black pepper is unripe fruit (green), picked and sun dried til it turns black. White pepper is the fully ripe seed stripped of its outer husk.
Furthermore….white pepper has a little milder flavor than black pepper but in some things it shouldn’t matter. Some recipes will specifically call for white pepper but I routinely substitute black pepper for white in my recipes. Keep this in mind… if you are making a cream soup or a lighter colored soup, usually the recipe calls for white pepper so it doesn’t look like you have dirt floating around in your soup. You can’t see the white pepper like you see the black pepper. But as long as you don’t mind the color… the taste is usually just the same.
No, silly. Llamas can’t talk but if they could they’d say “We want to go back to Peru and walk the Inca Trail because it’s so much nicer than being kept in this pen with funny people staring and wanting to touch us.”
At the PNE D. King
Llamas are special. Here are a few things you may not know about them:
Q: What’s more amazing than a talking llama? A: A spelling bee!
Q: What do you call a very fast llama? A: a Llamagini
Q: What’s llama’s favourite film? A: Llamadeus
Q: Who is the llama spiritual leader? A: The Dalai Llama
Q: What do you get if you stand between two llamas? A: llamanated
They can be creative
They like to enjoy a good night out (until things go bad):
A man and his pet llama walk into a bar. It’s about 5pm, but they’re ready for a good night of drinking. They start off slowly, watching TV, drinking beer, eating peanuts. As the night goes on they move to mixed drinks, and then shooters, one after the other. Finally, the bartender says: “Last call.” So, the man says, “One more for me… and one more for my llama.” The bartender sets them up and they shoot them back. Suddenly, the llama falls over dead. The man throws some money on the bar, puts on his coat and starts to leave. The bartender, yells: “Hey buddy, you can’t just leave that lyin’ there.” To which the man replies: “That’s not a lion, that’s a llama.”
Okay…..that’s enough (but must say I do love llamas).
It may be snowing in Calgary but here in Vancouver it turned out to be a picture PERFECT DAY for a bike ride and a picnic. We’re so lucky.“Never plan a picnic‘ Father said. ‘Plan a dinner, yes, or a house, or a budget, or an appointment with the dentist, but never, never plan a picnic.” – Elizabeth Enright, The Four-Story Mistake.
It wasn’t really planned so it was perfect!
An ordinary picnic can be made extraordinary simply by doing it with the right furry friends.
You are so funny. No…you are!
Gotta enjoy it while we can!We are brothers and can learn from each other! D. KingWe enjoy the ride and the fresh air.
When was the last time you went for a PICNIC?
A little too big for my bag? Oh well.
Photos: Ping (Lynn) Li
Of course it didn’t end here….there was also happiness (thank you to whoever invented happy hour) sitting outside enjoying the view at Kits Boathouse.
Birkin, you are not entirely forgotten about (hardly) and I have not totally given up (to give up is to die) but I’ve found something that you cannot match…a Gummi Bear Clutch bag! Okay, it’s not luxurious but it is whimsical and adorable and big enough to carry all the essentials…phone, lipstick, credit card, gummy bears (preferably chocolate covered ones).
In this case I think it best to keep the rest of your outfit simple. Designed by none other than the original “girls just wanna have fun” shoe designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal. Dellal is committed to bringing the playfulness back to fashion. She is inspired by nature – things like animals and fruit and the thrill of making them wearable. I had the pleasure of visiting one of her boutiques in St. Helena, Napa.
Her sought after kitty flats are now iconic. Not to name drop but some clients include the likes of Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Alexa Chung. The shoes deserve a whole post of their own which I promise to do one day soon.
Like legendary Timbuktu or Kathmandu – the name alone is almost reason enough to make the trip.
Exotic Zanzibar is a maze of narrow streets, winding alleys, bustling bazaars, crooked passages and crumbling houses with overhanging balconies. But there is romance a plenty on this island with collectible antiques, local wood carvings, spice market and historical hotels.
but then there’s this new under water hotel – the Manta Resort if you’re looking for a James Bond type experience…and who isn’t?
From Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, we boarded a ferry boat to lengendary Zanzibar and spent the day wandering around exotic old Stone Town. The name is appropriate considering all the old stone walkways.
Stone Town is the old city and cultural heart of Zanzibar where little has changed in the last 200 years (except for the hotel above). The original owners of the many grand Arab houses vied with each other over the extravagance of their dwellings. This one-upmanship is particularly reflected in the brass-studded, carved, wooden doors – there are more than 500 different examples of this handiwork. You can spend many idle hours and days just wandering through the fascinating labyrinth of narrow streets and alleyways. The symbol of Zanzibar is the dhowboat (photo above). Many of these boats can be seen along the shores ferrying people around the island and taking fishermen out for the day’s catch.
Stone Town was recently and deservedly declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The market is a great place to visit even if you don’t want to buy anything. It is a vibrant place where everything under the sun is bought and sold. People bring their produce here from all over the island, and other people come to buy things they can’t get in their own villages. Of special interest is the huge selection of brightly coloured kangas (worn by the local women, it is a rectangle of pure cotton cloth with a border all around it, printed in bold designs and bright colours) and the auctions that are held regularly. I brought back many colourful striped scarves and two chunky neckpieces not normally my style (shown here in photos).
With aging, scientists have always seemed to study things that decline, but how about those lucky individuals who seem to stay vital well into their 80s and beyond? Here’s some of their latest research advice & six ways how you can add years to your life.
“What we do see depends mainly on what we look for. … In the same field the farmer will notice the crop, the geologists the fossils, botanists the flowers, artists the colouring, sportmen the cover for the game. Though we may all look at the same things, it does not all follow that we should see them.” – John Lubbock, The Beauties of Nature and the Wonders of the World We Live in.
oh, did I forget to say what it is? A certified Organic Boutique and Day Spa right here in Vancouver. A genuine oasis for health and relaxation.
It really does improve the taste and I love the ritual of cutting a few fresh stems from my herb garden. Well right now my herb garden is not looking so great except for the oregano and thyme (which is thriving since I re-potted them in a huge pot together – they seem to get along very well). I’ve been looking for ways to preserve their freshness for as long as possible. Nothing wrong with using dried but I love garnishing with fresh almost as much as cooking with them. So here’s an idea for preserving your soon-to-be-sad-looking herbs and a recipe for a simple dressing which you can use for everything from coleslaw & cucumber salad to potato salad or simple mixed greens.
Creamy Herbed Dressing
“Never plan a picnic‘ Father said. ‘Plan a dinner, yes, or a house, or a budget, or an appointment with the dentist, but never, never plan a picnic.” – Elizabeth Enright, The Four-Story Mistake.
Birkin, you are not entirely forgotten about (hardly) and I have not totally given up (to give up is to die) but I’ve found something that you cannot match…a Gummi Bear Clutch bag! Okay,
it’s not luxurious but it is whimsical and adorable and big enough to carry all the essentials…phone, lipstick, credit card, gummy bears (preferably chocolate covered ones).
In this case I think it best to keep the rest of your outfit simple. Designed by none other than the original “girls just wanna have fun” shoe designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal. Dellal is committed to bringing the playfulness back to fashion. She is inspired by nature – things like animals and fruit and the thrill of making them wearable. I had the pleasure of visiting one of her boutiques in St. Helena, Napa.
Like legendary Timbuktu or Kathmandu – the name alone is almost reason enough to make the trip.
From Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, we boarded a ferry boat to lengendary Zanzibar and spent the day wandering around exotic old Stone Town. The name is appropriate considering all the old stone walkways.
designs and bright colours) and the auctions that are held regularly. I brought back many colourful striped scarves and two chunky neckpieces not normally my style (shown here in photos).
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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