Health

Managing your emotions, even in stormy times, may help you think more clearly and stay more centered, so you can be the person you want to be. Learn about the roots of emotion and the pathways to emotional agility in The Power of Emotions challenge from Staying Sharp, part of the Mental Well-Being challenge series. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.        

If you think of Pilates as exercise for your physical core — that prime stretch of real estate between your rib cage and your pelvis — you are not wrong. But there are five reasons to think these popular workouts might do some good for your mental core, as well. If Pilates is not a good fit for you, explore other forms of exercise including yoga or tai chi — or create your own exercise routine. The important thing is to keep moving! Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.

There are plenty of holiday memes about overeating. This year, try something different to minimize the many leftovers from a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Check out our Eat right recipes and consider a different main dish such as Stuffed Peppers With Ground Turkey, Cranberry-Stuffed Turkey Cutlets or Pineapple Turkey Kebabs. There are plenty of healthy side dishes and desserts in our recipes as well. If your heart is set on a traditional turkey meal, try our Herb-Roasted Turkey. And don’t forget to take a nice long walk after your meal. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more information on brain health.

Resilience is the ability to rebound from hardship and approach each day with determination that you’ll do more than survive — you’ll thrive. Resilience comes from within, but you can learn ways to build it. The Building Resilience challenge from Staying Sharp offers tools that will help you question your thinking, adjust your attitude and recognize your strengths. These tools may help you cope with challenges — and also inspire you to approach life in a way that leads to growth and positive change. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.

As we deal with aging parents and other family health issues, the idea of becoming a caregiver has become a reality for many. But learning to care for yourself while caring for others is essential. Explore content on AARP® Staying Sharp® with information that focuses on resilience, staying calm and more during the month of November. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.

Here’s what happens in your brain when you’re trying to make or break a habitDid you set a New Year’s resolution to kick a bad habit, only to find yourself falling back into old patterns? You’re not alone. In fact, research suggests up to 40% of our daily actions are habits – automatic routines we do without thinking. But how do these habits form, and why are they so difficult to break?Habits can be likened to riverbeds. A well-established river has a deep bed and water is likely to consistently flow in that direction. A new river has a shallow bed, so the flow of water is not well defined – it can vary course and be less predictable.Just like water down a riverbed, habits help our behavior “flow” down a predictable route. But what we are really talking about here is learning and unlearning.What happens in the brain when we form a habit?During the early stages of habit formation, the decision parts of your brain (pre-frontal cortices) are activated, and the action is very deliberate (i

It’s easy to lapse into all-or-nothing thinking at mealtime: Spend hours preparing a healthy feast or grab takeout or pop in a frozen pizza. The truth is, there are quick and simple ways to eat nutritious foods at every meal. Small diet tweaks can benefit your health, including brain health. Read this blog to see what 3 foods you should consider adding to your diet. Interested in adding new recipes to your collection? Explore hundreds of brain-friendly recipes on AARP® Staying Sharp® today.

A conversation about your health isn’t complete if it doesn’t include your brain. Use this guide to help start the conversation with questions for your doctor and follow-up steps for future appointments. Explore more content on how to talk to your doctor about brain health, including information on requesting a cognitive screening. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on  .

The Dehydration BluesMy wife’s recent debilitating bout of dehydration reminds me of a harrowing experience I once had at Emerald Isle, North Carolina. During one very humid scorching summer afternoon, I spent nearly six hours chopping down dead limbs in my steep overgrown front yard, hoisting the remains into trash bins, and then lugging the detritus to a dumping spot far down the street. I took a few breaks in which I drank what I considered to be a sufficient amount of flavored water.Pruning the foliage by itself was plenty of exercise for the day; but when I was done with my handiwork, I decided to work out at the deserted gym as twilight approached. Big mistake! Within a couple of minutes, I felt excruciating pain in my chest. Immediately, I stopped the treadmill and waited for the severe tightness in my chest to subside.  Even though the pain persisted and I was scared that I was going to die, instead of calling 911, I ever-so-slowly trekked back to my house. As I did so, my

Sugar cravings are hard to resist, especially if all you have to snack on are cookies and candy. Want to know how too much sugar can affect the brain? Watch this video to understand why you crave sweets and potential health risks if you overdo them. Then, the next time you go shopping, visit the fruit section before you head for the snack aisle and buy some strawberries to make this luscious Strawberry Nice Cream, a healthy ice cream alternative. It's all fruit, dairy-free, vegan and contains no added sugar. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.

My first post as a new member - hope it meets the guidelines. My concern is whenever I see or hear a commerical by Prevagen, I get furious. They claim it improves memory - even says it in bold right on the product IMPROVES MEMORY These claims are nothing more that what you would hear from a snake-oil salesman. These claims have not been proven and the FDA has not substantiated these claims. There is NO SCIENTIFIC proof that this product works to improve memory and yet I see it pushed to the elderly evey day. Is there nothing that AARP can do to stop this company from gouging millions of eldery of their hard-earned money for this basically sugar pill? Thanks

If you have a lot of squash or pumpkin, use it to make bread. Instead of water,  grind it, add enough flour to make a dough, then add yeast or sourdough starter.  Other vegetables will work too.

Never played an instrument or sang? No problem. Learning as an adult can bring joy — and stimulate your brain. Singing in the shower is fun, but joining a community or church choir can have the added benefit of socialization. As for instruments, check out your local thrift store to find deals on portable keyboards and other instruments. Find more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

If you haven’t been active, the idea of a long walk or hike may feel overwhelming. But not every walk has to be 5 miles. It can be 5 minutes, just enough to get you out the door and into some fresh air — especially if you’re near a park or walking path that connects you with nature. Watch this video to learn about the benefits of walking, from burning calories to boosting your spirits. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.

Just found this amazing video: "Daily Affirmations for Aging Well From Sheryl Lee Ralph"  "Be good to yourself..."

Here's an example of brain exercise.  Maybe it will start some thinking and friendly discussion. I found this in an old notebook from the 1970's that found its way back to me only because my mother chose to toss it in a box rather than throw it in the trash decades ago. I reread, reconsidered and rewrote it...just for exercise:Genesis Adam and EveA possible interpretation of the story of Adam and Eve that remains valid regardless of the scriptural source.The story of Adam and Eve and their exile from the garden of eden is traditionally presented as the curse of Original Sin (Except in The Koran where Adam alone, not his offspring, is held responsible for his choice) and condemnation of humanity to a life of toil, sweat and conflict. A curse that leaves Humanity's existance perpetually indebted to and entirely dependent upon a mysteriously jealous, vengeful yet merciful diety. A diety that while reported to be infinitely advanced beyond human comprehension is also guided by th

Folks at work were talking about this so much I looked some things up...looks like these people are going to be treated worse than we treated our own brothers and sisters in New Orleans after Katrina. B&A Satellite Images of Derna  ...guess I can't make any more jokes about how stupid conspiracy theorists are for not jumping all over Climate Change. This is Genocide by mismanagement...and not just local mismanagement.

In The Powerful Link Between Music and Memories, cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Levitin shares that our musical tastes form early, including a crucial period from around the age of 11 to 14. During that time, our musical tastes really take form and we hold onto those for the rest of our lives.   Music has always been a big part of my life, and it was especially important during my brooding teen years. Pop was a genre I embraced, and it's still one I adore today. One pop album I spent a lot of time with, learning the words and singing to myself in the mirror, was Michelle Branch's Hotel Paper, especially the song "Breathe." I recently relistened to the album and was transported back to my angsty, younger self.   What album or song did you love when you were younger?

Getting the heart pumping through aerobic exercise is a ticket to good health, but did you know that it may also amp up your productivity? Regular workouts may increase your stamina and keep you alert throughout the day. Hate to get hot and sweaty? Reaping cognitive benefits doesn't necessarily require hustling on that treadmill until you're perspiring profusely. Increasing your heart rate and breathing rate seem to be the essential components, so swimming laps in a cold pool can also do the trick. What type of exercise do you do? Find more health information at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

I am a 71-year-old healthy Boulder resident in Colorado on the AARP Secure Horizons plan who is a church member, works parttime for Boulder County older adults, and is in two older adult walking groups. If UHC does not renew contracts with Boulder Community Hospital and Boulder Medical Center (my HMO), each person I’ve spoken with over the past week on a UHC MA plan intends to change insurance companies when open enrollment begins.As an advocate for the aging community, this episode of apparent greed is the opposite of the trustworthy AARP goodwill that has been carefully fostered over decades. AARP’s membership ranks will also surely suffer.Graciously I request as a satisfied six-year enrollee of AARP’s UHC plans, please encourage AARP UHC profit-motivated powers-that-be, who refuse to pass on reasonable cost of living increases to our medical providers, to see reason instead of detriment, on behalf of your insured older adults.Thank you for listening.

I've been patronizing Walgreens since the demise Owl Drugs. Now that it's prohibiting women from obtaining a safe and legal medication, I'm prohibiting me from ever again passing through its door.

With my health plan you can't reach your doctors office directly, you must go through a call center and leave a message that can take a couple of days to get an answer.Before I change plans,  are all doctors offices like this now?

The connections between sleep and brain health may surprise you. Sleep is critical for memory, learning and other important brain functions. What’s more, research shows that what you eat may affect how well you sleep. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that when people ate a healthy diet, they went to sleep more quickly and got more restorative sleep than when they ate a diet that was lower in fiber and higher in sugar and saturated fat (butter, cheese, cream and fatty meat). Interested in learning more about how getting enough sleep may benefit your brain? Watch this video before you go to bed tonight. Find more health information at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today. 

Don't know if tis has been discussed here but I would like to hear from others about their medical care.  Of course having good health care helps but it's still hard to find a good medical doctor these days.  There's a new medical place in my neighborhood which is recommended by AARP and it's called Oak Street Health Care.  I just want to know if anyone has heard of them and know how good they are.  Please let me know if you happen to have heard of them.   

Life can get rocky sometimes. Luckily, there are tools available to help manage stress and deal with life's setbacks. Meditation, yoga, a walk in nature and even playing a game are just a few things you can do that may help you manage stress. Interested in learning more? Visit Find Your Calm and explore the many ways to put a smile back on your face. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®  an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.