Health

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.

A hearty guffaw can provide healthy upsides for your mind and mood. Some people have the ability to laugh at anything funny, including themselves. If you’re like me and need to be reminded to lighten up sometimes, you’ll enjoy watching this video to learn more about the side-splitting upsides of laughter. Find more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

It’s actually more of an eating plan than a diet, and its popularity has grown since the 1950s, when research found that people living in the Mediterranean region of the world were healthier than the typical American. In particular, people of this region had lower rates of heart disease, thanks to their predominantly plant-based diet of foods high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients, plus regular physical activity. Salmon is one of the recommended foods in this eating plan, and in this Blackened Salmon With Vegetables recipe, a spice rub gives the omega-3-rich fish and accompanying veggies a nice kick. Find more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

Happiness not only feels good — it may also be good for you. Why? Happiness is linked to better heart health and and even to increased longevity. So how can you enhance your bliss and your brain health? It’s often not the big things but the little ones that can bring you more joy. Want to learn more? Explore our interactive challenge, The Pursuit of Happiness, and learn about habits that experts believe may increase happiness — from connecting with others to practicing kindness. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, for more information on brain health.

I have managed to stay fit and healthy despite challenges like having both hips replaced at age 60 and a heart valve replacement at age 64.My blog chronicles my adventures in rehab and staying active.https://bionicoldguy.blog/ The secret is a positive attitude and working around limitations.Because of the hips I had to give up running so I got intoin walking, hiking, bicycling and paddling. Rehab from the heart valve was tougher than expected because I got fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion) as a side effect. But I gutted it out and an now fitter than ever and it feels great. My latest adventure is breaking my collarbone in a freak bike past (see the blog post "rehabbing, again!" for details). No problem- walking and stationary cycling for 6 weeks, then some work to get mobility and strength back on the right side. Onward!

It's impossible to stay healthy and to live receiving social security. What has happened with the United States, we the people and the taxpayers are the ones that kept America going for years. I forefathers wrote the United States Constitution to protect us and our freedoms. Why is the U. S. Government selling us out. Just look around you and what's happening with our country. The thousands of homeless citizens are not bad people. We have been forced on the streets and due to no fault of our own but the greed the business entities that the government is protecting. They don't follow the laws they get away with abusing and neglecting the seniors the elderly and are veterans and now they're attacking and discriminating against the disability families. We can't afford housing, food or transportation. We are the ones that have paid in with our taxes to keep this country running and they take our money and they're giving it away to other countries or to the immigrants that are here illegall

When was the last time you spoke with your best friend or friendly colleague? Did you know that deep connections — and the positive emotions they generate — may support your health? Read this article for more information on the health benefits of friendships. Learn more about the benefits of having good social connections, one of the six pillars of brain health. Find more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

Do you know someone who is good with names or never forgets a face? Odds are, you perceived the person as charming, kind and genuinely interested in you. As with any skill that’s worth acquiring, practice may help you get better. To learn how the brain processes and recalls faces and names, try this interactive challenge from Staying Sharp. You can explore specific techniques and strategies that may help you get better with names and faces. Find more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

Smells can stir our emotions and remind us of the past. From an approaching rainstorm to fresh-baked bread, smells can delight us, entice us and trigger memories. Why are scents so powerful? Watch this video from our new “Your Brain On” series to understand the unique way your brain processes smells. Find more great videos about the brain at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today. 

AARP is publishing contradictory "FACTS" about FruitSugar.The AARP "SugarQuiz" says,"Don't worry about natural sugar in Fruit."A recent AARP article says, "only certain/few Fruitscan be eaten without concern for SUGAR !!!"How about AARP address/correct the above ⁉️👀⁉️

Anyone else having to apply twice for benefits? Or apply then go through appeals process? Or resubmit requested documents only to be told they are now in receipt of docs but the deadline for submitting them passed long before the second request for them?  Anyone else feeling put off by their state departments?

You’re never too old to practice yoga. If you haven’t tried it yet, you may be surprised to learn that it won’t turn you into a pretzel shape. Simply put, it’s a combination of gentle movement, meditation and breath control and a wonderful way to destress. Learn more about the many benefits of yoga. Find more health tips at AARP® Staying Sharp®, an AARP member benefit, today.

Who knows, it might change your entire diet along with your notion of what is 'healthy food'. Try these great recipes for each meal of the day, starting with a bowl of plain Greek yogurt mixed with lots of berries, followed by a scrambled egg and whole-wheat toast. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more recipes with healthy ingredients.

I'm the family cook, and my husband and I are both active, fit, over 65's. When I study what experts say we should be eating, it's completely out of line with what we do eat as far as calories, protein, fat, and carbs. Are there any studies of fit active seniors that track what they actually eat? You'd need to account for male/female, age, height, maybe BMI and % muscle mass, and than track their macros. The readouts from our local gym say we should be eating more calories, and way more protein, but it would be tough given how much we already eat at a meal. Most studies are focused on making changes to diet for people who have problems and don't look at people who are getting it right. Comments?  

We all know that fruit is nutritious, but when was the last time you used fruit in a recipe? Check out these delicious bread and salad recipes: Blueberry-Lemon Zucchini Bread, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (yes, pumpkin is a fruit!) and Crisp Apple and Shrimp Salad. Find more great recipes at AARP® Staying Sharp®  an AARP member benefit, today.

Recently I have been talking with and unearthing interviews with shared housing advocates around the country. I live in Manatee County, which along with Sarasota County has seen increases in rent and reduced purchasing power. Locally, we have several authors and homeshare advocates who collaborate to elevate the practice of sharing a home. Recently I started a blogger site focused on interviews and thoughts about how shared housing can improve our ability to live independently longer, affect positive health outcomes, revitalize communities and the associated financial benefits.  I will post interviews and experiences related to all the ways we can thrive in our aging process through sharing. This is an audio file from a podcast I conducted several years about that features Marianne Kilkenny  https://theshareresource.blogspot.com/2023/04/interviews-podcast-rewind-marianne.html  The interview was held in 2012 with Marianne Kilkenny of Women for Liv

When life takes a challenging turn, it can be hard to take things in stride. Perhaps you're feeling persistently irritable (a frequent sign of depression) or experiencing the stress that often comes from caring for an elderly parent. Maybe your marriage is in a rut or you're grappling with a major life change, such as adjusting to retirement or an empty nest.   If you're feeling depressed, anxious, worried, or out of sorts, and it's taking a toll on your life, it may be time to turn to therapy to cope.Here are great suggestions to help you find the right therapist.   Do you see a therapist? How has it helped you?

Sunday, 10/10, is World Mental Health Day. Mental health affects all of us, and it has been especially important to take care of it as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. What helps you care for your mental health?   Having a healthy state of mind is just as important as having a healthy body. Start building the foundation for mental wellness today. Visit AARP® Staying Sharp® for more brain health information.