This Takes the Cake…I Mean Bread!! I Say EAT Bread!... It’s A Great Diet!

I’m tired of hearing people say that bread is not good for you, especially someone overweight, sitting next to me in a restaurant, lecturing me about how bread is fattening, while I watch them ingest a 300g steak, baked potato with butter and sour cream, and anticipating dessert …but they would not touch the bread!

I like to remind such people—who say, “bread is not good for you, how can you eat it when you’re a beauty/diet/anti-aging expert,” - that, at age 78, having eaten lots of bread - at almost every meal - I still weigh the same as I did back then, and I’m extremely healthy and agile, with normal blood pressure without a bit of medication…and with the bone density of someone in their 20’s, according to my doctor, not to mention how young I feel and how young people say I look. Forget about Atkins, No Carb, South Beach, and all the other many diets. I say, try The Bread Diet!

I love bread, and I really have eaten it all my life almost every meal. One of the biggest mysteries to me is why people on a diet will pass on the bread, or rolls, because they are on a diet…yet order food heavy with tons of calories and fat and eat it all. 

It’s simple. Bread is not fattening. An average slice contains 70 calories; an average roll is 113 calories. Bread is filling, helping to reduce the craving for higher calorie foods during the meal. A baked potato, for example, (104 calories) with butter (100 calories) and sour cream (150 calories). It’s easy to see how a roll or 2 slices of bread, with just a little butter (or, better, none) can replace many calories (and fat) during a meal; in the baked potato example, as many as 200.

An 8 oz Porterhouse Steak has 450 calories! Yes, one dinner roll has 20.1 carbohydrates and the steak has none but the “fat” content is more dangerous and certainly more fattening in the long run. When the No Carb diet became very popular, doctors saw how unhealthy many of their patients became…some developing heart problems…they were told to get off the No Carb diet. It’s a terrible diet to be on for more than a short time.

So the next time you go to a restaurant, eat more tasty bread and less fattening food…you will lose weight… and even save money! My favorite meal? One or two rolls or bread, two appetizers, one of which I take as a main course, and then sometimes a dessert, which I often share with my tablemates. Once in a while, if I decide to have an appetizer and a main course, I will steal a bite of someone else’s dessert...but I always eat my bread.


For family dinner dieting buy the best rolls or bread…maybe it’s worth it to find a good bakery. Choose your bread as carefully as you would linger over a piece of meat to serve for dinner, or pick over the vegetables to get the best. Encourage your family to eat a roll or two or one or two slices of bread and, at the same time, cook and serve less meat and other high calorie foods at the table. It’s healthier and you’ll save money. Americans are not losing weight; we’re getting fatter by the day. So let’s use some logic…what do we have to lose…but weight? Bread is a good diet aid.

For lunch have a sandwich. Choose nutritious bread. Whenever possible, I choose breads for extra nutrition, as well as its stomach filling qualities. Be careful though if you are on a strict diet, some bread products are higher in calories, such as a 2 oz. muffin, 165 calories, and a 2 oz. croissant, 240 calories.

One slice of whole wheat has 56, one slice of white enriched has 62, and pumpernickel has 79 calories. Put a little fresh cold cuts in between the bread…keep the butter and mayo low…use a little mustard for added flavor if/when appropriate and put some lettuce and tomato on it…yum, yum…and look at the low calories…take that, diet! Compare that, calorie and health wise, to a Big Mac (590 calories) or a Double Whopper w/cheese (1010 calories)… no, no’s for health and weight.


The texture, flavor and the taste of bread should be savored, eaten slowly…enjoyed. I’m sure you know that a great restaurant is known for and by its breads…not so tasty bread probably means it’s not the greatest of restaurants.

Don’t underestimate bread…it is more than just a bread. If you feel deprived, or it isn’t the best of breads being served, then put a little “flavor” of butter on it…believe me it will taste just as good, even better, once you become accustomed to NOT piling on the butter.

DO AT HOME - Strong, beautiful nails..

So many people write to me that they’re having a serious problem with their nails . . . what to do?…what to do?, they ask. Some have problems even when they keep their nails short. You will learn here how to take care of the top surface of the nails, as well as the nutrition it takes to develop strong healthy nails from the inside. This part does not happen overnight – but stick with it and it will work. You will also learn the best way to give yourself a home manicure.  HOW TO GET THE NAIL TO GROW STRONG AND HEALTHY.... Fingernails—and toenails, too—are products of your epidermis and are composed of the protein keratin. Each nail grows outward from a nail root that extends back into a groove of skin. Fingernails normally grow at the rate of 1/8th inch a month, approximately 2 or 3 times faster than toenails. Growth slows in old age. Sudden or significant changes in the appearance of the nails can be a first sign of illness. Abnormal or unhealthy nails may be the result of a local injury, a glandular deficiency, or a deficiency of certain nutrients. Contrary to common belief, the structure of the nails is not related to the structure of bone, and taking extra calcium will not strengthen brittle nails. Neither will taking gelatin. With severe malnutrition, after an injury or during a course of some kinds of chemotherapy, nail formation is impaired. During the several weeks of such impaired formation an area of thinning of the nails can be seen. The width of this zone of thinning of nails corresponds to the duration of the injury or the use of, for example, chemotherapy. A protein deficiency can cause opaque white bands to appear on the nails or cause them to become dry, brittle and very thin. Insufficient amounts of complete proteins and/or vitamin A slow down the rate of nail growth (which is also affected by various drugs). A shortage of vitamin A in the diet may also cause dryness and brittleness. A lack of the B vitamins causes nails to become fragile, with horizontal or vertical ridges appearing. The B complex is also a factor in fungus infestation found underneath the nails. Frequent hangnails usually indicate an inadequate intake of vitamins C, folic acid, and protein. An iron deficiency can disturb the growth of the nails, causing dryness, brittleness, thinning, flattening and eventually the appearance of moon-shaped nails. White spots can be caused by a zinc deficiency. Any nail abnormality indicates that the diet is not adequate; a well-balanced diet supplying all essential nutrients is recommended.  Nutrients that may be beneficial in treatment of nail problems: Vitamin A, Vitamin B complex, Folic acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, and Protein. I also recommend VEGGIES & FRUIT Concentrate. to alkalize your body.) If you have a nail problem that is the result of poor diet or illness, and you plan to do something about it, think in terms of three months because that’s how long it will take before you see the results of improved nutrition through your diet and supplements. Meanwhile, here are some measures that will help strengthen your nails and keep them that way: 1. Wear rubber gloves whenever you use soap and water or do any kind of manual activity; and have them larger than your usual glove size. 2. Use your fingers, not your nails, to pick things up. This, of course, is easier said than done! If you have long nails, use the sides of your fingers. 3. Carry a small Band-aid in your handbag. If a nail cracks, put it on immediately, then mend your nail as soon as you return home. You can buy a “mending kit” of some kind in almost any drugstore. 4. Always keep a coat of some type of polish, even clear polish, on your nails for protection. 5. For extra strength and proper conditioning apply Oleda® Nail Bed Healer and use Oleda® Hard Hard Nails. Please read about how these products help to develop healthier, stronger nails. HOW TO GIVE YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL MANICURE AT HOME Allow yourself about an hour of time and assemble everything you need before you begin: clean hand towel cuticle cutter hydrogen peroxide cotton polish remover bowl of soapy water emery board cuticle oil orange sticks - sometimes called cuticle sticks nail polish top-coat sealer Step 1: Clean off old polish with cotton pad soaked in polish remover. Take care not to push the old polish into the cuticle by starting from the base of the nail and working down to the tip. Step 2: Be sure your nails are dry before you file them. Begin at the side with the emery board and sweep to the center. Never use a “saw-like” motion, and don’t round off the nails too much for that can cause them to break easily. The longer you want your nails, the more “square” they should be. But always take the “square” off the corners. Step 3: Soak your fingers in warm soapy water for 2 to 3 minutes to help clean the nails and soften the cuticles. Clean your nails with the orange stick dipped in hydrogen peroxide. Step 4: Apply cuticle remover or oil to your cuticles. Wrap a tiny piece of cotton around the tip of the orange stick and gently work it around each nail to loosen the cuticle. This is also the time to clip away any loose cuticle. Do this gently or you may hurt yourself or cause hangnails. Step 5: Apply a base coat. This semi-transparent “polish” puts a smooth protective layer on the nail and is especially helpful for brittle and weak nails. Use strong brush strokes from the base of the nail to the tip. Step 6: After the base coat is dry, apply your polish. (Of course, it can be clear). Thin it down if necessary with polish remover. This is one of the secrets for professional-looking nails. Wait until each coat of polish dries before applying the next (if it’s thin polish, it won’t take long). In applying polish, brush the color across the base of your nail first, keeping clear of the cuticle, then make two strokes along the edges of your nail from base to tip. Finally, fill in the middle with one strong stroke from the base to the tip. Never go back over wet polish or you will get ridges. If you smudge a nail, apply a little polish remover on the smudged part while the nail is still wet, then smooth it over ever so lightly with the nail polish brush. Step 7: Apply top-coat sealer. Sealers prolong the wear of your polish, delay chipping and make your nails thicker and stronger. Let nails dry for twenty minutes. Note: If you only want clear nails you can use the two nail products for health and strength if you wish.

The RULES to best ensure that you live to 100, are healthy, have energy and... LOOK GREAT TOO!!!

So You Want To Live To 100…Be Healthy, Have Energy and Look Good Too? Of Course You Do! So…What are the “rules” to best ensure our chances? Scientists say our bodies are capable of it and more and more people are doing it already…but each of us must do our part to achieve this goal! So why not give it your best shot? I certainly will…..here’s what we must do……

Here’s How To Give Us Our Best Chance:

1) Eat Healthy and Eat Small Amounts Often Each Day.  I hate to put it this way but many people eat every meal as though it’s their last….remember…there will always be another one! “Grazing” all day is better for you than stuffing yourself all at once….especially near bedtime. When eating dinner out, no matter how fine the restaurant, I often order only two appetizers. Frequently they’re the best tasting morsels anyway.  However, I do allow myself a nice big meal occasionally to celebrate a special holiday. 

2) Eat less red meat or no meat at all for a couple of weeks at a time every once in a while. It is known that vegetarians tend to live a long time. But we do need some meat to get protein and a few of the amino acids that our body does not produce on its own. You can get these amino acids in some vegetable foods also…legumes for example. (As well as supplements.)  High intake of marbled meats are known to cause heart disease.

3) Don’t put the salt shaker on the table.  If you or your family are “salt-aholics,” learn to substitute with other seasoning like lemon, garlic and onion powder. Fast foods are full of salt. 

4) Drinking water is most important…our bodies are made up of 60% water. Some people say all liquids can be counted in the amount of water we need to drink each day, but for our best long range health many of us say plain water is the best for lubricating and helping to detoxify our bodies each day. Urine should be light in color, never let it turn dark due to dehydration.

5) Eat Fiber. Soluble and insoluble fiber helps the food processing in your intestines. This speeds up the time of the food processing in the intestines thereby lessening potential carcinogens doing damage. Fiber along with adequate water intake also helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Best not to get your fiber out of the drug store…3 to 5 PRUNES a day will help do the job...naturally. The older you get the more fiber you need.

6) Sweat at least 3 times a week. For strong bones and a healthy heart, work up a sweat at least 3 times a week and take extra calcium. For your bones and heart health any kind of exercise is good as long as you sweat for 20 minutes. Many people don’t realize that with no calcium in our bodies we would be like rubber, unable to stand up. Our body’s calcium level declines about 1% to 3% every year if we do not supplement. It’s never too late to start taking calcium.

7) Be in control…take charge. We often know what to do, but don’t do it. Here we need to psyche ourselves up…remember 100 is our goal. How nice it would be to be able to live longer and see our great-grandchildren…right!  One of our biggest hurdles is cutting down on calories….. obese people have a shorter lifespan, and many diseases develop because of “fat.”  Remember, if we don’t have our health we don’t have anything!

Another major hurdle in thinking is when we believe that diseases always happen by chance or are inherited from previous generations. Have you considered that your bad dieting habits could be what have been passed down from one generation to the next? There is much proof that what you put in your mouth contributes to serious diseases OR what you put in your mouth can protect you against serious diseases. It is up to us to take charge.

8)  Avoid Excessive Exposure to the Sun.  There are still so many non-believers!.  If people could only SEE what was happening UNDER the skin, even the first time they burn from the sun, they would be convinced of the damage.

9)  Don’t Smoke Cigarettes.  A pack-a-day cigarette smoker is four times more likely to develop heart problems than a non-smoker.  But it’s never too late to quit.  Five years after stopping, ex-smokers have about the same risk of developing heart problems as someone who has never smoked. 

10.  Consider the Use of Supplements.  As each year passes our bodies are less likely to assimilate food…to get the full nutritional value from what we eat.  Fast foods and over cooked foods have much less nutritional value, also. I have always supplemented my diet with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and amino acids, as well as a veggie & fruit supplement. 

11)  Alcohol...the good and bad. The risks of alcohol abuse increases as you age because your tolerance level decreases.  Medications can interact with alcohol and cause other medical problems or disease. Too much can damage the liver, heart, and brain cells. 

Driving and drinking can certainly stand in your way of reaching your 100th birthday.

There are several benefits of moderate use of alcohol.  The French, as you know, eat plenty of cheese and meats that are rich in fat and cholesterol, yet they have low levels of heart disease. The French credit this to “consuming wine.”  Is it true? I’m not sure, but what is clear is that a small amount of alcohol does benefit the good HDL cholesterol levels as well as helping to prevent blood clotting.

12)  Free Radicals. Many thousands of these toxic chemicals are naturally produced in our body every day.  Our body automatically gets rid of them, but as you get older your body is less capable of counteracting this invasion. Free radicals have the power to age you if you don’t counteract them.  Plant food, like green leafy vegetables, fiber, vitamins, and fruit help fight free radicals. Fatty foods like meat (especially red meat) encourage them.

13) Use your brain – you have heard it many times but it is very true…USE IT OR LOSE IT…is never truer than with our brain as we grow older. When you use (exercise) your brain, more blood flows through it, providing more nutrients and oxygen to all its cells. If you don’t exercise your brain, it can shrivel up just like a muscle. Learning a new game, planting a new garden, meeting with friends, conversation, finding things to do to help people, all help build brain cells.    

14) Happy people live longer. If you are unhappy and can figure out why, you should try to do something about it.  Sometimes there’s no quick fix, but once you recognize what is causing your unhappiness you can zero in and work to change it. It’s your right to be happy. It’s important to feel good about yourself, to have a sense of purpose in work, even volunteer work, or a hobby.

15) We need good sleep. Your body repairs itself at night while you sleep, which in turn helps slow the aging process.   In general, 7 or 8 hours is best. If you take a nap in the afternoon, that time counts too. The bottom line is you should wake up feeling relatively refreshed.

16) Get annual medical check ups.  Medical checkups provide the opportunity to PREVENT serious problems. This is a very important aspect of my personal health care program. You say you don’t have the time or money? It will take plenty of time and money if you become very sick. 

Besides getting a general checkup every year the tests below can allow for an easy cure, if the problem is caught early enough. Get them done in a timely manner when your doctor suggests: 

>COLONOSCOPY TEST. Today the equipment is so perfected that you feel nothing and it takes little time. If you are not getting the test because you fear embarrassment, try having colon cancer! It’s your move. Do it.

> PAP TEST. Cervical cancer is almost 100 percent preventable when it is caught at the pre-cancerous stage. Almost every woman who is treated for cervical cancer in the early stage is cured. So why not work toward prevention. Your health and life may depend on it.

>MAMMOGRAM. As we all know, a mammogram can detect tumors even your doctor cannot feel. It is important (maybe life saving) to identify breast tumors while they are still curable. The earlier you spot the tumor, the better chance to live a long and healthy life.

>GET YOUR MAN TO HAVE A PROSTATE EXAM. There are several disorders of the prostate gland, and most of them are curable if caught early enough. Cancer of the prostate gland is common and ranks high among the type of cancers that kill  men. It is very serious and mostly preventable. Make an appointment for him if he won’t.

SO WHERE DO I PERSONALLY STAND ON ALL THESE TESTS?

 I’m sharing my recent medicals tests results with you to demonstrate that good health is not necessarily age related, if you take care of yourself. I’m convinced that what I’m doing, and have done for years, has been the right thing to do.  

My latest bone density test at age 72 showed my bone density is that of an 18 year old. I know this sounds unbelievable—even my doctor was surprised…but it’s true. This test was done in an MRI machine of the lower back and hip. 

At age 72 my colonoscopy test showed NO POLYPS AT ALL. I have a test done every 5 years. If you are younger your doctor may suggest every 10 years for the test.

My dentist says my gums are as healthy as a 20 year old and to keep doing whatever it is I’m doing…I intend to! (I believe it’s because of good diet and my water pic.)

I have no arthritis, aches or pains….and take no medication for it. I take no cholesterol medication.

My weight is the same as it has been all my adult life…120 pounds. (This does not mean YOU should weigh 120 pounds…I have small bones) My weight is not because of my genes either…my loving brother, 3 years younger than me, allows me to tell you he weights 335lbs. He has all kinds of life threatening health problems I’m sorry to say. He admits it’s his lifestyle.

My energy is nonstop and I am still very flexible.

"So, take your own health in hand. You are the best keeper of your health and body".

Love, Oleda

So many people ask me what I do to "be" so youthful...I tell them it all starts with what you feed the cells inside your body...We must keep our cells "splitting" all our lives as they did naturally when we were younger. Each year we become older, they split less on their own.

VEGGIES & FRUIT Highly Concentrated in powder. GREENS, FRUITS & VEGETABLES, no fillers. It's a Super Alkalizing Formula and The Best Cell Renewal Builder On The Market. Helps compensate for the body's decline in growth factors and poor eating habits.

Healing via nutrition. Its the BEST way possible.

We are already more than half way through 2012 and life seems to be getting increasingly more challenging.  Have you been feeling more intense lately?    Are you feeling more anxious and tensing up for no apparent reason?  If you are experiencing the above, then take heart.   It is time to invest in you.  

In the west we have been subjected to an enormous con.   We have been taught that if we require wisdom and knowledge, we need to look outside.  We are taught that it is held in the minds of other people.  But be true to our self by listening to our bodies and giving our bodies exactly what it needs ...

We do not get the correct foods into our bodies, we are rushing around and we all know that we have to get the proper nutrients daily.  We have to start with creating a holistic foundation by cutting out processed foods in order for the body to function at its optimum capacity.  Veggies & Fruit Concentrate Powder in a capsule form is a quick, easy and healthy way to get the daily nutrients that our bodies need.  We will be energised and our thinking processes will be clearer.  Food is our body’s foundation, what you put into your body affects the way you feel.  

Each serving of Veggies & Fruit Concentrate, Super Alkalizing Formula, Organically Grown contains:

Calcium, Phosphorus, Iron, Potassium, Vitamin A, C, B1, B2 and B3.

As well as Broccoli, Spinach, Asparagus, Celery, Peas, Carot, Pumpkin, Tomato, Beet, Sweet Potato, Lemon and Orange Peel !!

Let this be the beginning of your journey on your road to self discovery and betterment.  “Healing through Nutrition” needs to be practiced as an art.

ANTI-AGING tips

Time moves on and there is simply nothing anyone can do to slow it down.  As time does this, changes start to happen in and outside ones body and NO ONE wants to be or to feel OLD.  Many men and woman have their own thoughts and their own remedies that they swear by as I have mine. I believe in the "grow old gracefully" and I believe in being truly able to stay younger for a longer period of time IF you really want to and you set your mind to it.  Treating your body from the INSIDE to maintain and ensure good energy levels is very important so a visit to your doctor to ensure that your hormones are in place is a must.  Eating properly is also very important to maintain good energy levels and absolutely essential for feeding your body the vitamins and nutrients that it needs.  

Even great, shiny, healthy hair requires nourishment and it's always good to treat from the actual root. With the lifestyle that so many of us live today eating on the run, over processed foods, junk food... it is quite necessary to take supplements and always best if they are natural.  If you can take a fruit and veggie concentrate daily, it can only be a plus in your life.  

Exercise in any form is always good but the cheapest and most rewarding is a short walk daily.  It is absolutely essential for any human being to be on a skin care routine in order to treat and feed the skin.  It's very simple... In the morning you would cleanse your face and neck, you would then tone and then you would apply a day cream.  In the evening you would cleanse your face and neck, tone and then you would apply a night cream.  You can add to your skin care products slowly... perhaps an eye cream which is always invaluable as here is where those dreaded little lines begin. ALWAYS remember to use sunglasses when in the sun because this also helps in combating the little lines around the eyes.  

Keep busy.  Join a gym, join a club, make friends and have them over for a laugh every once in a while.....  GROWING OLD, youthfully can be done by ANYONE who truly wants to. 

Do we get old because we slow down or do we slow down because we get old?

So many people speed up their aging process and then wonder why they got old so fast. Procrastination and lack of information are two of the worst enemies of youthfulness…the best and the most exciting anti-aging word is PREVENTION. I learned this as a child from my Father…he preached prevention, mainly with regard to nutrition and diet…and I listened!
The act of p-r-e-v-e-n-t-i-o-n must cover all health and beauty subjects—head to toe—if we are to stay youthful for life. Start early enough – with the proper information – and you can prevent almost anything. Like the engine of your car…don’t take care of it…don’t have check ups, and your car will shut down on you. Same with your body…it will not keep running on it’s own without help from its owner.

Think about this…As the years pass by, our faces slowly begin to change shape… unnoticeably at first, but look at a picture of yourself from ten years ago, and your likely to see what I mean.…Are you beginning to look older than you would like? Question: How much control do we have over this? Answer: Lots! Much more than you think!

This is often what happens...Over the years as we age, our bodies lose calcium. This means our bones slowly shrink, become thinner and more brittle. We lose inches in height .
. . and our facial structure changes, too.
Now, if we gain weight, as many of us do when we age, the fatty tissue covering a smaller facial structure causes our face to look older with more wrinkles.
If you think in terms of Preventative Care for a long term youthful facial structure, you will make sure your calcium level is maintained at a sufficiently high level, AND you will keep you weight down. (Tell your doctor you want the printout of your calcium level…not his/her statement to you saying that it is “normal.” Always keep your medical reports in your personal files at home…it is your legal right to receive copies of all reports. You can compare one year to another – you will also have a copy to show to a new doctor if necessary.)

Make sure you get enough calcium all your life. In most cases, as we grow older, it is difficult to get enough through the food we eat, so we need calcium supplements. In my case, I am on hormone replacement therapy under the careful eye of my trusted GYN. You must take charge…insist that your doctor carefully check your calcium and, where necessary, prescribe or suggest treatment to bring it up to a satisfactory level. If your doctor resists doing this– get another doctor! Your bones not only can keep you looking younger…they can actually keep you younger - period!

So my answer to the question I asked above is, We become old-looking because we slow down. We PROCRASTINATE…we tend to not PREVENT the problem … instead, we react only after we realize what has happened to us. Then the doctor prescribes a drug, which sometimes causes other issues. So by procrastinating over the inevitable, and not preventing a problem, we lose our health, and then lose our money to try to restore our health…oh boy! Please…think prevention!

Here is a list of some things you need to keep in mind to
prevent other health and beauty problems. You know most of them I’m sure, but with the example I just gave maybe you will take PREVENTION a little more seriously? I hope so.

* Keep your weight down. Many serious diseases are caused by excess weight—Diabetes, heart problems, aggravated arthritis, to name a few. Obesity is a vicious circle since it causes us to become less active, which in turn only compounds the weight problem.

Being overweight or obese and the health issues it causes can most often be prevented. – but YOU have to take charge. Think of all the medical bills you won’t have to pay…think of all the pain you can save yourself …and think of all the time you save by not being sick.

* Skin care. Billions of dollars are being spent on skin cancer, as well as getting rid of wrinkles. Most of this we cause ourselves…or we just let it happen by not protecting our skin. So you think you can bake in the sun and get away with it because you are young? Ha…forget-about-it! You obviously don’t realize that, from your very first “bake,” the sun starts damaging the collagen under the skin where you don’t notice it … until later. The rays harden the collagen a little every time it’s exposed to the sun rays. It doesn’t go away either…it builds up and stays there. Then the wrinkles get deeper and deeper as you age. Scary? Right; but you can prevent much of the damage by a) staying out of the sun, or b) if you must be out in it, cover up with clothing and a good sun screen. Think of all the money and pain and time you can save by preventing skin cancer and heavy wrinkling.

* Medical checkups. This is a big must for a long life and healthy aging. For example cervical cancer, osteoporoses, as well as so many other illnesses are totally preventable through medical check ups. Get your checkups…and listen to your doctor.

* Exercise a little every day. Exercise will reduce stress and anxiety as well as help you stay healthy, active and in shape. Walking is good – it gets your cardiovascular system going… don’t worry about over doing it. Any kind of exercise will be beneficial. Even if you only exercise for 15-20 minutes each day, even 3 or 4 times a week helps.

* Do things that bring you joy and happiness. Look on the bright side of life and find things to do that really give you joy and happiness

* Keep your brain busy – even playing games is fine. Golf, cards, games, dancing, sports, learning something new are stress zappers, and also stimulates the brain and body. When your mind is focused on an activity, it gives your body a chance to relax.

*Must have fun. Pick your friends who add fun and laughter to your life. Drop those who drag you down. Having fun and laughing gives you a mental break.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT -
ON YOUTHFUL AGING , LIVING LONGER and HEALTHIER: An ongoing major study of identical twins over many years has shown that 70% of the aging process is controlled by lifestyle and environment (controlled by us), while only 30% is due to your genes.

It’s not so much the every day difficulties and the tragedies of life that control our sense of well being, it’s the way we handle them that counts.

 

There are many different beliefs about how good or bad Hormone Replacement Therapy is for your body! With no ax to grind, here is what you need to know to make a decision for your own body.

In 2002, a major five-year study on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) was abruptly halted by federal researchers because they said they detected an increased risk of health problems. Alarming stories about this appeared in all the news media.
At the time, I stated my belief that this was another case of reporting dangers disproportionate to reality. While I did not condone prescription hormone replacement therapy, and still do not, unless under the direction and care of a physician well versed in the subject, one who cares and “keeps up,” I believe the combination in proper doses and forms of estrogen and progesterone, which I had been taking for 15 years, now 22 years, as prescribed and controlled by my gynecologist, has been a tremendous help for me in many ways.
At my last physical exam my bone density was described as that of a woman in her twenties, and, as you can tell from my photos, there’s no sign of osteoporosis. I truly believe the hormone therapy I’ve been on, along with the proper diet, with supplements, and exercise is the reason for my agile bones and body

As it turned out, the study in 2002 that resulted in reports of dangers from HRT was limited to older women who were well past their menopausal years.  Two years later, a review of other studies of younger women, prior to the age of 60, found a survival advantage for those who begin HRT before turning 60.  Those studies revealed that HRT actually reduced the risk of dying from any cause by 39% compared with women who did not take HRT at all. Now, isn’t that something!  Most of those studies were conducted between 1990 and 2002.  Where were these reports in 2002, when the controversy was raging?

The risks vs. benefits of treating younger women (younger than 60) with hormone replacement, nevertheless, remained controversial.  However, that news gave me the fuel to reiterate what I said two years prior.  I urged anyone having any menopausal or pre-menopausal problems to discuss the possibility of HRT with a competent doctor, one who understands the studies and who is not prone to simply dismiss the therapy. Some doctors dismiss it because they don’t know enough about the subject and don’t want to bother with it…want to play it safe (for themselves) but it may not be the best answer for you.

Then, in 2006, findings published in the Journal of Women’s Health showed that women who began Hormone Replacement Therapy soon after entering menopause had a 30% lower risk for heart disease than women who did not use hormones. Contrary to that earlier research linking estrogen treatment to increased cardiovascular risks, this analysis of the data indicated HRT may indeed offer heart-protective benefits, depending on a woman’s age and how long since she entered menopause. Publication of this research was swiftly followed by a fresh analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) data that first raised concerns about HRT in 2002.  This updated analysis, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, suggested that health concerns about menopause hormones may have been overstated. Even the Women’s Health Initiative for menopausal women then advised women to consult their doctor about HRT.

In August 2008, one of the world's longest and largest trials of hormone replacement therapy has found that post-menopausal women on HRT gain significant improvements in quality of life. The results of the latest study by the WISDOM research team (Women's International Study of long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause) are published on the British Medical Journal website www.bmj.com.

The study involved 2130 post-menopausal women in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and assessed the impact of combined estrogen and progesterone hormone therapy on the women's quality of life. "Our results show that hot flushes, night sweats, sleeplessness and joint pains were less common in women on HRT in this age group. Sexuality was also improved," says Professor Alastair MacLennan, leader of the Australian arm of WISDOM and head of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University of Adelaide, Australia. "Overall, quality of life measures improved. Even when women did not have hot flashes and were well past menopause, there was a small but measurable improvement in quality of life and a noted improvement in sleep, sexuality and joint pains. HRT users also had more breast tenderness and discharge compared to those on a placebo," he says. "If a woman feels that HRT is needed for quality of life, then doctors can find the safest regimen for her. She can try going off HRT every 4-5 years, and can then make an informed choice about whether she takes and continues HRT."

Despite studies such as this, Hormone Replacement Therapy remains controversial.  A study in New York in December 2008 indicated a possible link between HRT and Breast Cancer in some women.
So, with my own experience over 22 years and considering all the studies over the last eighteen years, I continue to urge women of pre-menopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal age to consult a competent doctor who is well versed in the potential benefits and pitfalls of estrogen and progesterone therapy who would be capable of determining candidacy for Hormone Replacement Therapy and prescribe and monitor an individual program, as my great doctor has done and is doing for me.