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Grieving Losses: December is a wonderful month - for most people - but not for all.

12/6/2019

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(NOTE: I have added a new "category" to my blog!)

“Grief, no matter how you try to cater to its wail,
has a way of fading away.”
V.C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic


If you ask a child what Christmas means to them, you will most likely get a response like "Santa!" or "I want to go see Christmas lights, please?" Children see the good things in everything. As children grow older, they change and by the time they are our age, a lot has changed.

As we get older, for many over 50s, Christmas takes on a whole new meaning. It stops being about the Santa, lights, gifts, and parties and becomes what it was meant to be. It slowly transitions from the material to the spiritual and mental. The time we have left on this precious earth begins to become more about spiritual things, family and friends, and reflection.

“To ease a grieving heart is the world's greatest pleasure, more so, when the heart is yours.”
Radhika Mundra
Indian Author and Blogger


For some, Christmas becomes a stressful holiday. The holiday season can become a time of increased sadness and a feeling of loneliness. The causes for this stress are numerous, recent divorces, the death of a spouse or child, the loss of friends through illness and death, physical distance from family members, family squabbles (which can occur at any age), a personal illness, and many other reasons.

After the age of 50, we have most likely lost a friend or two or family members through to illness or death. It changes things in a big way. The whole left by the missing person stays with you throughout the whole season. Does this mean that your holiday is ruined or not enjoyable? No. It means it is only different.

This month I have added a new blog category "Grieving Losses". In this category, you will find blog articles that offer help, not only for surviving the holidays, but for other times of the year, as well.

I will also include some extras from time to time that will be not only helpful, but also interesting. I will be posting a new article in this category next week, but you can now easily find past articles just by clicking on the "Grieving Losses" in the "Category" area on the right side of the blog.

Grieving losses is more than just about the people we have lost, it is also the loss of our health, loss of mobility, loss of our youthful beauty (but gaining our "Golden" beauty, : ) ) or anything in our lives that changes in a negative way.

“Grieving is an expression of gratitude,
and that expression doesn't have to be rushed.”

Carolyn Wells, Start Again, Inspiration from the Sunny Side of Adversity


While there is a difference in grieving a death and grieving a life event, the emotion is the same only more intense and longer lasting with a death. The emotion is the same, but the intensity is different.

The grieving process is basically the same, except that with life events you are not grieving the loss of a relationship. The stages of grief can be similar, but you experience additional stages of loss with a death.
It is easier to put a recovery plan together with life events than with a death. Often a death will cause the griever to experience depression and not just sadness or disappointment.

“It's not that I want to forget
It's just that sometimes
It hurts to remember”

A.H. Lueders
Self-Published Author

Forgetting is hard if not impossible when it's a death, but life events they will pass.

We never forget our loved ones or their passing.

A life event will pass and we will forget most of the time.

Remember to check out my December blogs under “Grieving Losses” for help in getting through the holiday season. During this month of December, I will be posting a blog (maybe two) about grieving and surviving the holidays and how to dig ourselves out the depression hole.

Have you experienced a life event that felt like your world was coming to an end? What did you do to get past it? Have you experienced a death that left you feeling like your world did end? How were you able to survive? Did you do it alone or with help? Please comment on this important article. Help someone else.
​

XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Part 4 - Integrative Medicine, Cannabis, and CBD Oil - What's UP?

11/29/2019

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Over the last few years there has been a lot of discussion about the legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes, CBD oil, and their part in Integrative Medicine.

While it appears that cannabis and CBD oil have positive outcomes for most ailments, there are other considerations. Those other considerations are the reason for the slow progress in the legalization or non legalization of these substances.


As with alcohol, the legalization meant that there needed to be new laws in regard to drinking and driving. There had to be an enforceable age limit to purchase. There had to be rules put in place to protect the person drinking and also the public.


Cannabis is a botanical that offers a lot of therapeutic potential. Due to the nature of cannabis, it has not been accepted widely as a medicine. Cannabis is basically one of two kinds - hemp and marijuana. The latter has a high Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) level and thus makes the consumer "high", similar to alcohol and other mind altering medications.


The psychoactive component of cannabis, THC, was approved for the treatment of chemotherapy related nausea and vomiting in 1986. It has also been found to help with sleep, mood, and anxiety.


There is no published human trial data for it's use in tumor/cancer treatment. However, there is data on it's effectiveness for tumor/cancer treatment on rodents that shows promise.

The future of cannabis as a tumor/cancer treatment may be just around the corner. In the meantime, it still remains the most effective treatment of cancer treatments and symptoms of treatments.


Cannabidiol oil (CBD oil) is a whole other thing. Most pure CDB oils contain little to no THC. Without the THC it does not produce any psychoactive symptoms. This is why it is approved for use without a prescription or legal requirements. You can purchase CBD/Hemp oil over the counter almost anywhere and everywhere. However, the purity of this oil can vary greatly depending on how it was produced, so going to reputable dealer is the safest choice when purchasing.


Some of the reported benefits of CBD/Hemp oil are: relief from pain (most types, while some are resistant), nausea, seizures, anxiety, sleeping issues, and a host of other ailments.


I have family members and friends who use CBD/Hemp oils and all of them have told me that it changed their lives. A few have lived with certain pains (hip, shoulder, knee, etc.) for years and no longer feel any pain. A few have had difficulty falling and staying asleep and now sleep soundly.

The positive effects of CBD/Hemp oil are numerous and no one reports of any negative side effects.


Does this mean it works for everyone? No.


Hemp Oil is described as cannabis with a very low THC content (0.3% or less according to the recently passed 2018 Farm Bill). It is considered an industrial resource that is used for paper, clothing, biofuel, and consumable oils.


CBD/Hemp oil has been found to be safe for normal use, but the long term effects are not known. Time will reveal if this "miracle" in a bottle has any negative long term effects. As of this writing, it looks as though there are no negative side effects to be found.


CBD oil is mixed with a "carrier" oil that dilutes the horrible flavor of the hemp to make it easier to take. If you use straight Hemp oil, you will find that it tastes really bad. When mixed with a carrier oil, you take it by a dropper full (either a full or a portion of the dropper), if you take the pure Hemp, you take it by a single drop at a time.

Pure Hemp is potent and you don't want to take more than you need.


The expense is the biggest hurdle to vast majority of the population using it. For example, good CBD oil (not the questionable stuff found in gas stations for $20 a bottle) can run $60 to over $500 a bottle.

A bottle of CBD oil can usually last from 6 weeks to 90 days. A bottle of pure Hemp can cost about the same, but it lasts 3 to 4 times as long.

Most people find it hard to afford good CBD oil or pure Hemp. Hopefully, over time and with increased competition, the cost will come down without affecting the quality.


Difference between
Hemp oil and CBD oil
:


"CBD oil is made using either hemp or cannabis.
The difference is hemp is bred to be highly fibrous for industrial use and
contain minimal THC to comply with law,
whereas cannabis is bred for its diverse cannabinoid content."


Reference: www.cannabis.info/en/blog/difference-cbd-oil-cannabis-oil

The true value of cannabis, CBD, or Hemp is still to be determined. If you ask people who use these substances, most will say “yes, it helps me”, however, a few will say “No, it didn't do anything for me.” Time will prove the value and uses for these once taboo alternative medicines and their effectiveness.


Given that the long term effects of CBD oil are not yet known, would you be willing to try it? Do you use CBD oil for anything now? If you were diagnosed with cancer or another serious disease would you be willing to give CBD oil an chance to help with the side effects of your other treatments? What do you think of all the hype surrounding what CBD oil can or can't do? Please share your thoughts on this “wonder” drug?
​


XOXO
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SPECIAL: Thanksgiving - As we age, we are more thankful!

11/22/2019

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The older I get, the more I realize how blessed I am. I am healthy, I am physically active, and mentally sound (well, most people think I am, anyway, lol), and I have a loving family. I know that there are people in my age group who have it a lot worse than I do and yet, they are happy, content, and thankful.

When we were young, we skipped through life and sometimes we stopped long enough to "smell the flowers", but most of the time we were skipping from place, one person, one event to another and not taking a lot of time in between. That's one of the beautiful things about getting older, we have learned to slow down and appreciate every step in life.

Thankfulness comes from within. You can have a huge meal on the table and your family gathered and still not be thankful.

It can seem like this holiday marks the beginning of the rush season of Christmas shopping and parties. But, I encourage you to take time to look at your life and see all the wonderful things you have to be thankful for.

If nothing else, you live in a country where you can still worship God or whomever you worship in any manner you choose. You can still decide where you want to live, you are not restricted to one region.


You have choices and opportunities that many in the world do not have. Remember that!

Now for a little background on this lovely holiday:

"Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated on various dates
in the United States, Canada, some of the Caribbean islands, and Liberia.
It began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the
blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year.
Similarly named festival holidays occur in Germany and Japan"
According to Wikipedia

It is celebrated on the following dates in these countries:

1st Thursday in November Liberia

Last Wednesday in November Norfolk Island, Australia

2nd Monday in October Canada

4th Thursday in November United States

It also celebrated on various dates during this same time period in many other countries such as: the Philippines, the United Kingdom, Grenada, India, the Netherlands, Saint Lucia, the Caribbean Islands, just to name a few.

In the United States, it was observed from the time of the founding fathers until the Lincoln era on various dates determined on a state by state basis. The last Thursday in November was the recognized date in the United States by the 19th century. It aligned with and eventually replaced the existing holiday of Evacuation Day.

​This was a day that commemorated the British exit from the United States following the Revolutionary War. It became a national holiday by a presidential proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. It was not fully realized, however, until the reconstruction era was over in the 1870s following the civil war. Lincoln designated the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving.


President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed another presidential proclamation on October 31, 1039 that changed Thanksgiving Holiday to the fourth Thursday in November.

And that's this day came to be.
Remember, EVERY morning that you wake up on this side of the dirt (🙂), it's a good day.

Be thankful for every blessing in your life this Thanksgiving holiday, no matter how big or how small that blessing is.


Do you have any unusual Thanksgiving traditions? Do you share a meal with family and/or friends? Do you take inventory of your blessings on a daily basis? Are you aware of all the many blessings in your life? Are you thankful to be alive and over 50?

XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Part 3: The Case for Better Healing with Integrative Medicine

11/15/2019

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A brochure from Novant Health says this about Integrative Medicine:

"Integrative medicine
​is healing-oriented medicine

that considers the whole person
- body, mind and spirit,
along with family, community and environment."


Many physicians are now in agreement that it takes more than one type of care to heal a person. The majority of physicians believe in treating the whole person. They are finding that it leads to more cures, more lives saved, less cost, easier recovery times, and more.

A doctor treats a cancer patient with chemotherapy and/or radiation. Hopefully, the cancer is killed and the patient heals to return to normal life. What actually happens a lot of the times is the medicine to treat the cancer (chemotherapy and radiation) create a whole new set of symptoms and problems.

Chemo can and most of the times does, make the patient sick. They lose their appetite and when they do eat, they may not hold it down very long. Even if they manage to keep food down long enough to digest it, they may not get the nutrients they need from it.

Nausea is also a big side effect of chemotherapy. Chemo can make sleeping restless and yet, the patient is extremely fatigued.


Chemo alone or radiation alone only treats one aspect of the cancer. If you provide additional treatments that are effective, non-invasive, non-toxic, and healthy, the body can heal itself (if not completely, at least improve quality of life.

Here are a few "alternative" treatments that can make the patient happier, healthier, and give the body what it needs to heal itself:

1. A healthy diet. One diet does not fit all. All cancers feed on sugar, so eliminating processed sugar is the first step. Some cancers feed on fat, you need to find out if this is the case and if it is, then eat more vegetables and proteins - go easy on the fats. Some are just the opposite and feed on carbohydrates. In this case eating less vegetables, more proteins , and more healthy fats. If you have doctors advice.

2. Movement: Either as personal exercise or as physical therapy. This could include movement as stretching for 30 minutes, yoga, Tai Chi, walking, or any other low impact movement that gets you moving. It can include a physical therapist and professional trainers or coaches.

You can also do your own exercise program with elipticals, treadmills, weights, cardio dance/Zumba classes, and other activities. Just as long as you move. If you have cancer or an illness the doctor may recommend certain activities for you, you should follow your doctor's advice.


3. Herbs: Ask your doctor before trying any herbal treatments about the interaction with your prescribed medications. For example: if you take blood thinners then you probably want to stay away from turmeric (which can also thin the blood).

Herbs are natural, but they can also be toxic if you combine with other herbs or with medications. Some are harmless and you can take without any interactions. Always check with your doctor first if you are on medications. ALWAYS.


4. Body Work: This includes:
all types of massages,
hot stones,
cupping,
acupuncture and acupressure,
Homeopathic,
Naturopathic,
Ayurvedic,
Chiropractic,
Osteopathic,
Hydrotherapy,
Reflexology,
and other other body therapies found in Chinese and Oriental medicines.


5. Supplements: Dietary supplements such as vitamins, mega vitamins, minerals, etc. Sometimes Again, you should consult your doctor if you are taking medicines and other treatments before adding to your diet. Usually, they are safe, but occasionally certain vitamins and minerals can interact with medicines and herbs.

6. External energies such as:
Electromagnetic therapy,
Reiki (transfer of energy from practitioner to patient through the laying on of hands),
Oigong (Chinese system of physical exercises and breathing control related to Tai Chi, but more intense).


7. Mind: Studies have found that patients with good emotional and mental health heal better. There are therapies aimed at improving these elements. Here are a few:
Meditation
Biofeedback
Hypnosis


8. Senses: Therapies that incorporate the senses include:
Art
Dance
Music
Visualization
Guided Imagery
Aromatherapy


As you can see, there are many alternative medicine choices. The combination is the key to healing and applying with traditional/modern medicines and treatments. As you will see in the following photo, combining traditional/modern medicine with alternative medicine can greatly improve the patients chances for a complete healing.

In the photo below, this patient had rectal cancer.

The photo on the left is after months of radiation without any additional treatments.

The photo on the right is the same patient with rectal cancer after a few months of radiation and a diet change. The diet change alone, gave the body the boost it needed so that the radiation could do it's job. As you can see, it's amazing
!


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Sometimes, all it takes is a small tweak that provides our bodies with what it needs to heal itself, the way God made it.

A word of advice (from a novice writer only and with no medical education):

ALWAYS consider every option available to you when you are faced with an illness or disease. If your doctor refuses to consider other options, get a second opinion. NEVER take the first options with out investigating you. other choices.
Always consult your doctor before adding or taking away any treatments or medicines.
ALWAYS!

I hope you found this article helpful. I hope that it makes a difference in your life now or in the future. In future blogs, I will go into a deeper study on some of these alternative therapies and how they help us heal ourselves.

Have you ever used Alternative Medicine (or Complimentary Medicine) in conjunction with traditional/modern medicine? Would you consider alternative medicines in the future? What are your thoughts on Integrative medicine?

XOXO

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Health and Wellness: What is Integrative Medicine, Alternative Medicine, and Modern Medicine? - Part 2

11/8/2019

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To understand Integrative Medicine, you need to know what is "integrated". It's more than what "mom" or "grandma" used to do when we became sick as children, much more. The big push today in Integrative Medicine is the legalization of medicinal marijuana. That interest has helped to open the door for more alternatives.

Alternative medicine is exactly what it sounds like. It is a medicine or treatment that is an alternative choice to modern medicines, treatments, or surgeries.

Notice I did not mention Alternative surgeries. Alternative medicine is medicine and treatments that are non-invasive, more natural to our bodies (and minds), and treat the whole body, mind, and soul.

Alternative medicine attempts to deal with causes and responses rather than to treating symptoms and never knowing the cause.

Alternative medicine comes from taking the best treatments from a number of sources. It may include Chinese, Egyptian, Native American treatments or any number of other sources. (We will explore those treatments in a later blog post.)

Sometimes, alternative treatments are the only thing someone needs to get better.


Modern medicine is more of treating the symptom. In fact, it has been said that"symptoms make money, curing loses money". Does that mean that modern medicine doesn't want to cure anyone? Do it mean modern medicine wants to keep you on your pills, injections, treatments, etc., so that they can continue to make money? Maybe. Yes, maybe.

However, let's be honest here. Sometimes a pill is all it takes to manage an illness that can't be managed any other way.

Sometimes, that surgery is the only choice in saving a life or managing an illness. So, let's don't throw modern medicine out the window, but rather put it in its place.


Integrative medicine takes the "best" from both worlds and puts them together to heal. When modern medicine and alternative medicine meet and compromise, everybody wins. The doctor wins because he is fulfilling his oath of "doing no harm" and "to heal".

The patient wins because they are treated with the least invasive treatment required and the outcome goal is to cure not just to manage symptoms.

There are cases when managing symptoms is the only achievable outcome, but the management of symptoms can be treatments from alternative medicine, modern medicine, or a combination of the two.

The important takeaway from this is:


You have choices with Integrative Medicine.

When choosing a path of treatment, you should be in control. Your doctor should present all options, not just the modern standard of treatment.

Your doctor should present all the pros and cons, as well as,. If you doctor doesn't offer this up front, ask them. Ask if there is a more non-invasive, less risky, safer treatment than the one suggested.

Also, do your homework. Seek a second opinion in big matters and at the very least do an online search for your illness and see what comes up (remember that not all information on the internet is accurate, but if you study it, you should be able to determine what is and what isn't accurate.)


TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR...OPEN UP THE CONVERSATION
FOR ALTERNATIVE OR INTEGRATIVE TREATMENTS.
​

During the symposium, the one thing that kept coming back over and over again from almost every speaker (all speakers were licensed physicians and some with PHDs) was the connection with diet, lifestyle, health, and healing.

The overwhelming consensus among all medical practitioners was this:

If we don't give our body
the vitamins, nutrients, nourishment and rest it requires,
or we continue with unhealthy habits related to lifestyle
such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or using drugs,
it can not heal itself.

Our bodies are made to self heal. 
If given the right nutrition, rest, and care,
it not only has a better chance of healing itself on its own,
but medicines and treatments will work better. This will 
result in a better overall outcome.

If we are what we eat, then we can't each junk and expect medicine to work miracles. We need to give our bodies what it needs to provide it with a fighting chance to heal.

That means no sugar (sugar has been proven to feed cancer), no smoking, no food that converts to sugar such as bread, potatoes, bananas, etc.

It means getting enough sleep at night so that our bodies can repair and renew itself, lowering stress.

It means dumping our "bad" habits and creating "good" ones to replace them.

Now that we know what Integrative medicine is and what the common theme among doctors is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to make the necessary changes in your life to promote good health and healing, or are you going to continue in a self destructive lifestyle?

We have more power over illness than we sometimes realize. Not all cancers are receptive to diet, sleep, and lifestyle changes, but the majority respond in some type of positive way if not in a complete healing.

It never hurts to adopt a healthier lifestyle, it can only help.

Have you made any lifestyle changes due to an illness or injury? What did you change and did it make a difference? Does your doctor use alternative medicine or only modern medicine? What are your thoughts on alternative or integrative medicine based on diet and lifestyle changes?

XOXO
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Health and Wellness: What I learned at the Novant Health Integrative Medicine Symposium - Part 1

11/1/2019

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During the month of November, I will be blogging about all the things I learned from this symposium (and a little about the facilities, that were amazing and the food, equally amazing). It was full of new and coming alternative and integrative treatments for cancer. The cool thing is - these treatments also help a multitude of other ailments, such as weight, sleeplessness, depression, sexual issues, pain, and the list goes on. The studies are real and the results are amazing. Studies are on-going to continue to learn more.


At the root of the this symposium was a doctor that I started following in the late seventies.

Dr. Andrew Weil was the keynote speaker at this symposium which was the main reason I drove to downtown Charlotte. I wanted to hear him in person and ask him questions. He is a Harvard educated medical physician and has been promoting integrative medicine for over 40 years, long before it was accepted by the modern medical community.
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Dr. Andrew Weil, MD

He believes, as I do, that it takes both modern medicine and alternative medicine to treat the whole person and not just the symptom. I will be showing you photos and slides that show this in real life during this month. The combination is saving lives.

Novant Health is a local medical health group that is leading the way in Integrative Health. I personally think it's about time. The medical community is finally accepting the fact that to effectively heal a person, you have to consider more than just pills, injections, and surgery. It takes nutrition, physical therapies, and counseling, among other things.

For the 40 years that Dr. Weil has been advocating integrating modern medicine and alternative medicine, 30 years of that 40 years he was considered an "out-there", "new age", and "radical" doctor.

Now 40 years later, he is considered an expert, leader, and pioneer. I knew this all along, even from the seventies. Why did it take the professional medical community so long to come to this realization? Because of the money involved in pills, injections, and surgeries. Treat the symptoms, not the cause. That has been the basis for "practicing" medicine for decades.

Dr. Weil is a Harvard graduate and a licensed medical physician. He has published several great books on aging, health, and living. If you want to read more about him, you can find information here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Weil
https://www.webmd.com/andrew-weil
https://www.drweil.com/


I hope that the information I share over the next few weeks will help you learn how to become an active partner in your health care. I hope that the information I share will open your eyes to new treatments and that you make more informed decisions when it comes to your health.

Please share your thoughts on Integrative Medicine. Share your thoughts on Dr. Weil or any other doctor you feel is a leader in this area of medicine. Share so that we may all be more informed about our health choices.

XOXO
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Encouragement:  Healthy Habits, Good Nutrition, and Living a Full Life after the Age of 50 - Ending October

10/25/2019

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Aging is not for the weak, is what some people say. I agree. You can exist but not live, you can exist but not be healthy enough to do anything but lay in a bed and be tended to, and you can lose thinking skills - if you choose to.
 

On the other hand, you can live a life full of exciting things to do, traveling, good food, good friends, and the ability to live independently - if you choose to.

Yes, there are unknown factors that could make a difference in our choices. Factors such as an unavoidable disease, accident, or some other personal crisis, tragedy, or event could occur and you have to adjust your plan and perhaps make different choices.

The thing is, you still have choices. You can still choose to live with a disease and still be all you can be, putting in all the effort you can or you can give into the disease and whither slowly away. You can choose to let an accident ruin your life or you can deal with the effects of the accident and create the life you want.

Not only is your attitude about your health a factor in living a happy and fulfilling life, what you eat and do affects your life just as much. If you are not getting the right nutrients, enough sleep, and enough exercise, you won't feel as good as possible and you will be more susceptible to illness.
 

If you are sick or sleepy when you should be wide awake and energetic, then you need to change some things or find out what is causing the issue. It could be you feel bad and old because you are not taking care of yourself. Vitamins are very important to our bodies. We learned this month about nutritional yeast and how good it is for our bodies without any down side. It tastes good and is good for us. It also, provides our bodies with all the B vitamins that we need so very much.

On Fire also celebrated our 4th birthday. It's been fun to write this blog for the last four years and I am especially happy when I get a message or email from someone who took the time to let me know I helped them in some way. That makes my day.

Tonight, I went to a Grief Gathering at my church to study about how to help people who are grieving the death of a loved one. In the meeting were a few women who came to the Ladies Day last year that I spoke at. The women told me how uplifting my talk was and how they left the Ladies Day Meeting feeling happy, hopeful, and ready to live more. It made me feel really good and encouraged me to keep writing.
That make's it all worth the work. 

I have always been terrified to speak in public, but for some reason this time was different for me. It was different because I lived the topic I was speaking on and I knew it frontwards and backwards. I believe in what I write here and I also believe in my readers.

My past issues with self confidence, weight, and happiness have taught me valuable lessons that I want to pass on so that maybe no one will go through them or if they do, they will be helped by what I write about. There is no reason for anyone over the age of 50 to feel old, invisible, or not valuable to society. 

The Bible states clearly:

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, 
for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."


Philippians 4:11-13

That is not an excuse to stop trying to grow, excel, or improve. What it does say is this - do not use your "lack" of something as an excuse or a reason to complain. Instead, live to the best of your ability and don't let your "lack" of anything hinder you from being happy. Don't blame your individual circumstances for your "choice" to not live a fulfilling life.

One of my favorite scriptures is this one:
"For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."


Proverbs 23:7

If you think something about yourself, you will live that. If you think you are too old to learn something new, then you are. If you think you are old enough to learn something new, then you will. It's that simple.

What you think, is what you become.

Henry Ford had it right when he said:

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. 
Anyone who keeps learning stays young. 
The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."


Henry Ford, American Industrialist

Mr. Ford also believed in doing. Here is something he said about being what you think about:

"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, 
you are right."


Henry Ford, American Industrialist

As we close out the month of October, let's remember those things we learned this month and put them into action.

Start today living the full life that God expects from us.

Think you can and you can, even with all your handicaps, illnesses, and lacking. You may have to do it differently than you would like to, but you will be doing it!

Are you doing all you can to live a full and healthy life? Have you given in to the world's negative view of aging? Do you have any experience in aging and living.

XOXO

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SPECIAL: Happy 4th Birthday to US - The On Fire and Over 50 tribe!

10/18/2019

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It is hard to believe that I have been writing this blog for four years. I started this blog with the idea and goal of encouraging women over the age of 50. It has grown to include men and people who are not yet 50, but are almost there and have definite feelings about it.

Over the last four years, I have received several emails asking me to write about specific topics and I have tried to meet every request that I have been given. This blog needs to be what you need and want. The only way I can know what you need is if you tell me. I encourage you to drop me an email if there is a topic, product, idea, or anything that you feel is important to you as you age.

As I have said, many times, I am not an expert, but I do know how to find experts and find information. All product reviews are my own opinions only and not an endorsement either way, pro or con.

I am a curious woman, myself. There are things that I want to know, things that I need to know, and things that are inspirational. Everyone over the age of 50 should be curious and learn as much as you can about anything and everything.

None of us have been the age we are today before today. It is new territory for all of us. It brings issues with it, important issues and we need to communicate with each other to find the answers or solutions to those issues. The answers and solutions may be different for each one of us, no two people are the same. There are some common ground areas that we can help each other out...but we must communicate and share our ideas, thoughts, and experience.

I am going to make a challenge to each one of you to :

Share your ideas, thoughts, and experience with the readers of this blog
and also on our FaceBook page.
Help someone else and maybe you will find what you need also.
Look for opportunities to share with other readers.

New things are coming to this blog.

Look in the next couple of weeks for a FaceBook announcement of a new feature that is coming to this site. I have some things I want to add (for free) to this blog as Resources for You and Fun Stuff.
Stay tuned and watch the On Fire and Over 50 FaceBook page for coming news about various features I am adding just for YOU!

Feel free to comment below with a birthday greeting for Of Fire and Over 50 community, four years down, hopefully many more to come.
​

XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Nutritional Yeast - What is it and what do you do with it?

10/11/2019

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If you're a beer lover, you may be surprised by this food supplement. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast related to brewer's yeast.
Brewer's yeast is used as a fermentation agent in making beer.

I love nutritional yeast. It tastes good and it's good for you. If you are dieting, are a vegan or vegetarian, or you have a restricted diet due to allergies or health issue this is something you should consider adding to your diet.

This yeast has a great tasting cheesy taste that can be used in numerous foods (such as smoothies, flakes sprinkled on popcorn, add to oatmeal or cereals, add to salads as a topping, add to bone broth for a richer flavor, and to just about anything you want to
add it to).

This yeast is grown on a food source, many brands us molasses. Then it is harvested, heated, dried, and crumbled into flakes that can sprinkled on almost anything.

It must be protected from the light in order to retain it's high B vitamin content. When you purchase it, you can leave it in the package you purchased it in or if you want to put it into a storage container (such as when you purchase it in bulk), use a dark glass or ceramic container with a tight lid to keep moisture out. If you store it properly (dry and protected from light), it will keep for up to two years.

Here's the breakdown of all the wonderful nutrients in ONE Tablespoon of Nutritional Yeast:


B1 (Thiamine) 180% of Recommended Daily Value (RDA)
B2 (Riboflavin) 160% of RDA
B3 (Niacin) 70% of RDA
B6 (Pyridoxine) 140% of RDA
Folic Acid 40% of RDA
B12 40% of RDA
3 grams of Protein
1 gram of Fiber


B vitamins are essential to our immune and nervous systems. B vitamins assist our bodies in converting food into energy that we depend on every day. If you are a vegan or vegetarian there is no food source of B12.

Adding nutritional yeast to your vegan/vegetarian diet is the easiest way to get this much needed vitamin.

I will say it again.....I LOVE NUTRITIONAL YEAST!

I add it to my bone broth every day and it makes the broth richer in texture and taste. I have put it on popcorn and it is really good. Usually, if I make a salad at home, I will sprinkle a tablespoon over my salad... yummy. I have tried it on lots of dishes and foods, I haven't found anything that it doesn't enhance and taste good.

However, just because I love it, doesn't mean you will. I will say that no one that I have recommended this great additive to has come back and said they didn't like it. You may be the first! (LOL)

Please do not try to use brewer's yeast or active dry yeast in place of nutritional yeast...they are not the same and the taste alone will turn you off.

Some vegetable bouillon cubes and powders contain nutritional yeast, but I prefer the pure nutritional yeast flakes and then I put it on at least one food every day, usually in my bone broth. Adding it to hot bone broth is probably my favorite. Bone broth is full of collagen and who doesn't need more of that at our age? By adding nutritional yeast to the broth makes it an extremely nutritious beverage.

Give nutritional yeast a try and when you do, think of all the wonderful things you are doing for your body by adding it to good foods and drinks.

Have you ever eaten nutritional yeast? If so, what did you put it on? What is your experience with the taste and versatility of this additive? If you have never tried it, will you consider it now? Please comment and share your opinion with the
​OFOF community.


XOXO
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Life: It is What it Is. Especially after the age of 50. Live Your Life!

10/4/2019

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Recently I received disturbing news about two of my friends. One had an accident and as a result is paralyzed from the waist down and the other was diagnosed with bone cancer. Neither of my friends expected their lives to change so drastically, so quickly.

This is not a blog about living your life while you can or before tragedy or illness stops us...no. This about how to use our circumstances to our own good and also to good of God. Ours lives are not really our own, our lives are given to us, on loan, by God and therefore return to Him in the end. It's what we do with our lives that matters, not the length or quality. No matter what situation you are in, there is always someone worse off.

You may ask, what could be worse than being totally paralyzed? Well, being totally paralyzed and not having anyone to care for you or also not having your mental functions... AKA: being in a vegetative state. Never complain, there is always someone worse off than you.

We all have circumstances in our lives that could bring us down mentally and emotionally. For example, I have several events going on in my life right now that, if I were to allow them to take over my mind, would bring me down mentally. I choose, however, to look to the bright side and try to make good on these less than welcome circumstances.

Do I get depressed? Yes. Do I cry over things in my life? Yes, at times I do. Do I ever feel like giving up? Never. I realize that every thing in life is temporary. Every thing has a beginning and an end. Nothing, not even life goes on forever.

Having observed people over my lifetime (as I am sure you have, too), I have seen people with obstacles that seemed overwhelming and insurmountable do some amazing things. They have attitudes that simply amaze me. I try to have a positive attitude all the time, even when life gives me a problem, but I still have those times when a positive attitude is only a thought and not an action. In other words, I lose that positive attitude for a period of time.

The thing is, I try. I try not to let circumstances dictate my outlook on life. The only time this is hard if not impossible for me, is if it involves someone I love, such as one of my kids, grand kids, sister, etc. Family is my soft spot. Even then, I try to remain positive and deal with life as it comes.

I still get up every morning and begin a new day. I try to start with a fresh outlook on the new day that God has given me and make plans to use it fully.

The older I get, the more I realize that we should be thankful that we do wake up each morning as there are many who won't.


The point I am trying to make with all this, is:

"Wake up each day thankful to be alive!
Wake up each day thankful that you can accomplish something!
Wake up each day and make it a memorable day!"
- Sheryl 2019 -

“Live today as though it was your last day on earth.
Learn something new everyday as though you are going to live forever.
Experience life everyday – it's more than just another day –
it's another glorious day in your life!”
- Sheryl 2019 -

Here are thoughts on life and living from a few others, hope they lift you up:

“Don't be afraid your life will end;
be afraid that it will never begin.”
- Grace Hansen -

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives,
that we are dying.
Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day.
So do it! I say.
Whatever you want to do, do it now!
There are only so many tomorrows.”
- Pope Paul VI -

“Every day, it's important to ask and answer these questions:
“What's good in my life?” and “What needs to be done?”
- Nathaniel Branden -

Eleanor Roosevelt, even during her time, knew the purpose and secret to life, she said:

“The purpose of life, after all,
is to live it,
to taste experience to the utmost,
to reach out eagerly and without fear
for newer and richer experience.”

Gene Simmons , an Israeli-American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, made this statement about life and living. It is worthy of remembering:

“I don't wait for the calendar to figure out when I should live life.”

In Summary, start TODAY to EXPLORE new EXPERIENCES no matter what your CIRCUMSTANCES or your ABILITIES. Start WHERE you ARE and DO what you CAN and FILL each day with WONDERFUL MEMORIES!

What is your plan for tomorrow? Will it be the same as yesterday or today or will you live it fuller? Are you already living a full life? Do you see any opportunities in your life to add more living to each of your remaining days on earth?

XOXO
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    ❤ Sheryl ❤

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