Arizona Health & Living Magazine September 2023 Issue

Caregivers Today

While it can be a noble effort to step in and provide care to a friend or family member, caregiving can be time-consuming and emotionally and physically demanding, particularly for those who also are balancing careers and families. Know when to ask for help.

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By Jackie Silver, founder and president of Aging Backwards, LLC

Is it Possible to Think Yourself Younger?

an what you think actually have an effect on your body? According to research, it can. That is the mind and body connection at work. Your psychologicaland emotional state affects the

happenby“magic”.Itwillhappenbecauseyouareconsistent with your exercise program and eatinga proper diet. Makeit perfectly clear to your unconscious brain that you intend to look like the person in that composite photo.

Visualizing a younger version

Thoughts could age you

Emotions (thoughts) control physical response. Your body is programmed to “fatten up” during the winter. Find a photo of yourself in which you really liked the look from the neck up. Then, cut out a beautiful bikini body that you admire from a magazine.

Here is the key – putting your head on a tall, super skinny supermodel’s body may not be realistic.

Specificallyfind abikinibody thatresemblesyourbodytype very closely so that your goal would be attainable. Tape the photo of your head to the photo of the bikini body. Every time you go to the fridge, you will see that photo. The purpose is not to make you eat less. The purpose of having the photo there is to remind your unconscious brain “You look like that.”

Maybe it will have the effect of curbing your appetite, unconsciously. It will not happen in a week and it does not

Visualize the insideof yourbody. Study charts of the human body so that you could get a better visual in your mind. All you have to do is search online “human body chart” images and it is like a free science course! Visualize your telomeres as long and tightly knit up at the ends.

A telomere is a region of repetitive DNA at the end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome fromdeterioration.Scientistsconsideritanexcellentmarker of aging. The longer your telomeres are, the “younger” your cells.

Telomeres were only recently discovered and understood by biological researcher Elizabeth Blackburn and colleagues, and play an important role in protecting your chromosomes from critical damage.

You can use this visualization technique during your own meditation time to “influence” your telomeres. In case you are thinking that meditation cannot really benefit you, think again. In a study conducted by the University of California, researchers found that people who regularly meditated over a three-month period had more active telomerase, that enzyme that helps preserve telomeres.

4 Ways to Rebound from a Midlife Slump

By “A Liberated Trucker Babe”, author Xandra ‘Sunny’ Moon

There are thousands of beautiful mothers, wives and exwives who feel like they have lost their sexuality. Here are six ways in which women 40 and older can rediscover their “inner babe” and get it back.

Embrace your sexuality. Older women have more self-possession. They are not as callow and tend to have more character both in personality, and intrigue . Women 40 and older are also more forthright.

Education and employment. Having your own income allows women the power to choose their relationships, and not remain stuck in one.

Remember your old social life. A big part of relocating your inner diva is remembering the good times you had as a teen and 20-something. In many ways, these things are like new again. Underappreciated mothers and wives tend to live primarily for others, but now it is time to reclaim those fun nights out with the girls and catch some time for yourself.

Health, diet and exercise. Of course, feeling and looking attractive is important to you – so be healthy! Nothing is better at giving ladies that can-do attitude than a nice workout. Being selective about what you eat is as important as being selective about who you date. You want a partner and diet that will treat you right.

If you are single and in your 40s, 50s, 60s or older, you can either wait around for the kids or grandkids to come by and visit, or you can get out there and regain the vitality and lust for life you used to have.

f your child is overweight, deciding to talk about this unhealthy lifestyle is only the first step. It can also be a huge challenge to have a productive, helpful discussion, especially if your child is unwilling to hear what you

Here are eight suggestions for avoiding as much conflict as possible.

Put the focus squarely on health and off weight

Whether by default or by design, each family has a health and wellness “culture”. This includes the types of food that are kept in the house, how heavily physical activity is emphasized, what sleep patterns are encouraged, how much health information is available and more. As a parent, you should emphasize each aspect of this health culture, not just your child’s weight. Remember, healthy weight follows good lifestyle behaviors, but good lifestyle behaviors typically do notfollowweightlossdiets.

Recognize that you spend too much time focusing on weight

Most people do not realize how much they use weight as a yardstick to measure their overall quality of life as well as their worth. For example, how many times have you asked about a piece of clothing, “Does this make me look fat?” with the understanding that if the answer is ‘yes’ you have somehow failed? That is why, when broaching the subject of weight with your child, and in your own life, it is important to stop talking about weight and even, to some extent, appearance. Emphasize other characteristics. For example, talk about how an unhealthy lifestyle influences your child’s self-esteem and thus demeanor, as well as how they express himself or herself andtheimpressiontheymakeonotherpeople.

Ask your child what would help

Yes, you are the authority figure in this relationship, but it can be a mistake to assume that you know the best way to help your child become healthier. One of the problems with giving support from a position of experience is that you tend to think that your child’s situation is the same as yours; therefore, the things that worked for you will work for them. That is not

necessarilythecase.Instead,itisalwaysagreatideatoaskwhat yourchildthinksthebestcourseofactionwouldbe.

Focus on change, even if you run into resistance

The purpose of any discussion about losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle is to bring about change. In other words, talking to your child about their weight angst for an hour might have some value because it allows them to vent, but try not to leave the discussion there. Try to take onestep forward, too, even if your child is resistant to change. An effective way to overcome resistance (or even cut the conversation short if things are getting heated) is to get a commitment to make just one change in the next week. That might be anything from drinking fewer sodas and more water to walking three days a week. Focusing on one simple changeaweekseemsmanageable(asopposedtodropping30 pounds, which is overwhelming), and is a very constructive way to move the conversation forward without being too bogged down.

Observe how your child, and the whole family, uses food

Your discussion will be better received and more effective if you are well informed, so before instigating “the talk”, observe how your child uses food. For example, if you see that they eat in order to manage their emotions, you have gained an important piece of information about a very damaging habit. The truth is you are not always your best observer. If you can determine whether your child is using food as a drug to avoid discomfort or as a stress manager, you are one-step closer to attacking the root of the problem. You can explain to your child that this underlying eating “trigger”, not food itself, is what you will need to focus on managing.

Do not be judgmental

One thing is for sure – nobody is perfect. Another thing is for sure – if you attack someone with words, they will stop listening to you. Considering those two truths, you should avoid blaming your child at all costs. The fact is, we live in a fat culture, andthemajority ofAmericansare overweight.In many ways, your child’s struggle is nottheir fault. However, it is their and your responsibility to do something about it. The focus should always be on how you can help your child move forward from here, expressed as lovingly as possible.

Walk the walk

In the end, your example is the best way to change your child’s health behaviors. Teens, in particular, are sensitive to hypocrisy. So if you are not ready to make any and all of the changes that you are asking of your child, do not instigate the weight discussion in the first place. If you cannot walk the walk, then your actions will simply be encouraging your children to continue with unhealthy habits that will have a major negative impact on their lives.

If you really cannot get through

Sometimes, despite their best efforts, parents just cannot get a positive response from their children. If this happens in your family, someone needs to have the weight discussion with your child. Getting professional help is always a good idea, but there may be others such as relatives, friends, or teachers who might get a more receptive response.

If all else fails. Well, all else cannot be allowed to fail. Your child’s life is too important.