According to statistics, up to 30 percent of us will experience changes in appetite as we age. This is a complaint my mom started having in her mid-60s. Foods she loved to eat as a teen or young adult just didn’t whet her appetite anymore.

She didn’t eat as much as before, preferred different foods and would even forget to have a meal sometimes. I never quite figured out why she experienced those changes until I got older, and the same thing started happening to me. That’s when I did the research.

Actually, appetite changes can impact us in many ways. For example, critical nutrients that our bodies need to function may be reduced. We may lose weight or have overall poorer health in general.

Some studies go so far as to say that many of the diseases that affect boomers are the result of dietary factors and these factors are exacerbated by the aging process.

Why Do Boomers Experience a Loss of Appetite?

It turns out there are many reasons why our appetites may change as we get older. Reasons for a loss of appetite include:

Changes in Our Bodies

Almost everything about our bodies changes as we age. Many of these changes may impact what we eat and how much we eat. For example, research shows that “because older adults’ abilities to absorb and utilize many nutrients become less efficient, their nutrient requirements […] actually increase.”

Also relevant are hormonal changes, especially during and after menopause, changes (usually decreases) in our sense of smell and taste and our reduced visual acuity – meaning food won’t look as good.

Changes in Our Living, Emotional, and Social Situations

You should not underestimate the impact our environment, mood, and social interactions can have on our appetites and food preferences. For example, many boomers suffer from depression which is known to impact appetite.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you live and eat alone, you may also suffer reduced appetite and eating patterns. When you live alone, you may have fewer “reminders” about when to eat. It may often happen that you just snack instead of having a balanced, healthy meal.

Chronic or Acute Diseases

In reality, virtually any acute illness, whether the common cold or constipation, can impact appetite. Chronic diseases, especially, can change your appetite and food preferences over the longer term. Most common chronic diseases among boomers are liver disease, diabetes, back or other pain, cancer, and heart disease.

Medications Can Influence a Loss of Appetite

Many boomers take at least one type of medication to treat acute or chronic conditions. Believe it or not, studies show that there are over 250 medications that can affect appetite and/or change how your food tastes and smells.

Therefore, there is a good chance that whatever you have in your medicine cabinet can impact your appetite and food preferences.

What Can You Do?

Luckily, there is a lot you can do to compensate for changes in appetite and food preferences as you get older.

The first, and arguably the most important, is to be aware of those changes before they reach a point where it affects your weight or health. It’s always better to nip it in the bud.

Here are some additional suggestions:

• Talk with your healthcare provider to see if there is any physical issue that could be impacting your appetite or food preferences.
• Enhance the flavor of your food with lemon juice, vinegar, spices, or herbs (limit salt and sugar, though).
• Try to eat a wider variety of foods at each meal – experiment with colors, textures, temperatures (chilled versus hot), mix of vegetables and fruits, and type of protein (vegan, chicken versus fish, for example).
• Increase your activity level since this has been shown to increase appetite – even 15 minutes of walking a day will help.
• Meet friends or family when you can, and share a meal with them. It’s even better if you cook together.
• Talk with your dentist if you’re having problems chewing or if your teeth become sensitive to hot or cold.
• Give yourself a treat and use your good dinnerware (that is why you have it, after all).
• Drink water instead of sugary or diet drinks.

Most Importantly, Be Focused on Good Nutrition as Your Appetites Change

Not needing to eat as much as we once did, not wanting food we may have once liked, and needing fewer calories does not mean that you must sacrifice getting the minerals, vitamins, and other key nutrients you need.

One thing to keep in mind is that there is a difference between nutrient-dense foods, which pack more nutritional value per calorie, and calorie-dense food, which fill you up but don’t necessary have a lot of nutritional value.

The latter are often called foods with “empty calories” and include such things as candy, potato chips, and alcoholic beverages. Your best bet is to stick with nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates.

For example, a chicken breast and popcorn each have about 100 calories per serving. But with the chicken breast, you’re getting protein and a variety of nutrients. On the other hand, the popcorn may make you feel fuller, but you’re not really giving your body a lot of nutrients.

While all nutrients are important when taken in the right balance, there are certain ones that you need to make sure you are getting enough of. These include:

• Vitamin B12: Helps with brain function, helps keep nervous and circulatory systems healthy.
• Potassium: Needed for heart health, nervous system health and muscle strength.
• Calcium: Needed for heart health and strong bones.
• Magnesium: Needed for most bodily systems.
• Vitamin C: Helps lower blood pressure, promotes heart health and stimulates immunity.
• Vitamin D: Helps with hypertension, needed for healthy bone growth and helps protect vision.

Another tool you have handy is the nutritional labels on all packaged foods and beverages you buy at the supermarket. While these labels may look intimidating, they were designed to be easy-to-use.

They give you the information you need to make informed decisions about the foods you’re purchasing. The labels include this important information:

• Serving size
• Calories per serving and calories from fat per serving
• How much of the daily value of any given nutrient you get from each serving. For example, 10 percent of your daily need for Vitamin C.

Armed with these tools, there is no reason why you should not get the nutrients you need to stay healthy as you age.

If you’re not sure whether your appetite or food preferences have changed, or whether you’re experiencing nutrition changes, you should consider having your nutrients tested. This is especially important since what you need and how much you need of key nutrients tends to change over time.

As I age, I am constantly learning new things about my health. “Anyone who keeps learning stays young,” according to Henry Ford. So let’s all learn together and be forever young.

Do you find that your appetite has gotten smaller with age? What is your experience with changes in appetite or food preferences, either with yourself or your friends and family? How did you deal with it? What did you do to overcome them? Were your strategies successful? Tell us about it. Please join the conversation.

The Hadids aren’t like the Kardashians in that we don’t follow their ever-changing hair and makeup looks. They’re models after all, and usually models have to keep it more low-key when it comes to their hair especially. But Bella Hadid has been experimenting with her hair lately and seems to be having a lot of fun. And we love watching all the changes. Unsurprisingly, she can pull off literally anything.

This week, Hadid hit up a few spots in NYC with what looks like her glam team to “celebrate our last job of the season before a few weeks off for summer!” she wrote on Instagram. It’s hard to tell what part of her hair is her own that was dyed and cut and what part is a wig. She loves to add faux pieces to mix up her style, which is a safe way to experiment without taking the plunge. This new look features orange “money piece” highlights—but look closely. That’s not all.

She also tried blunt layers that have become the cool-girl style as of late. The edgy look almost resembles grown-out bangs since the layers don’t blend into each other. It’s like two different hairstyles put together. Celebs don’t often try it but you see this cut on fashion It-girls. Of course, Bells nailed it.

Source: Instagram

Earlier this week, Hadid posted a TikTok where she has similar orange highlights but in a bob haircut with baby bangs.

Source: Instagram

She also showed off a new Miss Sixty campaign in which she has a retro-style honey blonde bob with flipped-out ends and blunt bangs.

Source: Instagram

Yes, this was all in one week. We’re tired just thinking about her glam time. It has us wondering what her next week will bring, especially with some time off and a new TikTok account.

The Hadids aren’t like the Kardashians in that we don’t follow their ever-changing hair and makeup looks. They’re models after all, and usually models have to keep it more low-key when it comes to their hair especially. But Bella Hadid has been experimenting with her hair lately and seems to be having a lot of fun. And we love watching all the changes. Unsurprisingly, she can pull off literally anything.

This week, Hadid hit up a few spots in NYC with what looks like her glam team to “celebrate our last job of the season before a few weeks off for summer!” she wrote on Instagram. It’s hard to tell what part of her hair is her own that was dyed and cut and what part is a wig. She loves to add faux pieces to mix up her style, which is a safe way to experiment without taking the plunge. This new look features orange “money piece” highlights—but look closely. That’s not all.

She also tried blunt layers that have become the cool-girl style as of late. The edgy look almost resembles grown-out bangs since the layers don’t blend into each other. It’s like two different hairstyles put together. Celebs don’t often try it but you see this cut on fashion It-girls. Of course, Bells nailed it.

Source: Instagram

Earlier this week, Hadid posted a TikTok where she has similar orange highlights but in a bob haircut with baby bangs.

Source: Instagram

She also showed off a new Miss Sixty campaign in which she has a retro-style honey blonde bob with flipped-out ends and blunt bangs.

Source: Instagram

Yes, this was all in one week. We’re tired just thinking about her glam time. It has us wondering what her next week will bring, especially with some time off and a new TikTok account.

Leah McSweeney’s Green Tie Dye Sweatshirt at Home

Real Housewives of New York Season 13 Episode 13 Fashion

While Leah McSweeney was busy filing her dog Angel Marie’s nails in this scene with her daughter Kier, we were busy filing her green tie dye sweatshirt as “super cute.” And as it turns out it actually comes in a variety of different shades, all of which definitely hit the perfectly-manicured nail on the head.

Fashionably,

Faryn

Click Here to Shop Her Cotton Citizen Sweatshirt

More Colours:

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Originally posted at: Leah McSweeney’s Green Tie Dye Sweatshirt

While planning for retirement, you may be running into the issue of wondering how to afford the retirement lifestyle of your dreams. An asset you may no longer need can provide you additional cash to solve that, your life insurance. Selling your life insurance policy to a licensed provider is known as a Life Settlement.

It is important to note that in 1911, life insurance was deemed personal property by the United States Supreme Court. In other words, just like a house or car, it is a legal right to sell a life insurance policy. That is where life settlements come in.

You may want to consider a life settlement if you:

• Can no longer afford premium payments.
• Are Looking to find a way to pay long-term care costs.
• Want to retire at a vacation spot.
• Your life insurance policy is no longer needed.

All of these reasons conclude that your life insurance policy would much rather benefit you as a cash payment now.

According to Forbes, a life settlement can help cover medical expenses, long-term care, or any financial expenses faced by the policy owner. But unfortunately, most policies lapse or are surrendered without the owner benefiting since not many realize that this option even exists.

90% of seniors would have considered a life settlement option if they knew it existed.It is essential for seniors to be informed that there is real value in their personal property.

Research from the London Business School shows that a life settlement pays policy owners an average of over four times the policy’s cash surrender value. The money received from a life settlement transaction can be used any way you want, whether it’s going on your dream vacation or paying off existing debt.

What Are My Life Settlement Options?

With a life settlement, there are also various options to choose from depending on your financial situation and what would benefit you and your family the best. The three options are:

Retained Benefit

The Retained Benefit option means no longer needing to pay any premiums, and a portion of the benefit is retained. Beneficiaries will receive a guaranteed percentage when the policy ends, but there will be no further obligations or payments to make.

Traditional

The Traditionaloption means that the entire life insurance policy is sold for a cash amount above the policy’s surrender value.

Hybrid

The Hybrid option is a combination of the other two options (Retained Benefit and Traditional), where a portion of the life insurance policy is sold. With this option, a cash payment is received now. The beneficiary will receive a guaranteed percentage of the benefit when the policy ends, and there is no further obligation to pay future premiums.

Are Life Settlements Legal and Safe?

Since this is not a well-known option, you are probably questioning if selling your life insurance policy is legal and safe as well. It is vital that when you start your life settlement process, you are working with a reputable and certified company. Life Settlements are legal and have become a regulated industry. Laws regarding life settlements are enforced at the state level.

Want to Get Started?

To get started, contact a life settlement company to receive a quote for your policy. To ensure you get the best offer, it is in your best interest to work with a direct provider since they will be the ones handling your case without any middlemen.

If you work with a broker, they will often take a commission towards that final settlement account. Checking customer reviews, Better Business Bureau ratings, as well as other research, can assist you in choosing the best company for you. You can find a list of highly qualified life settlement companies here.

The process of selling your policy will not be complicated and time-consuming as long as you work with an experienced company. They should provide and educate you throughout the process, so you fully understand how your offer is calculated. You may also be able to receive a cash payment for your policy in as little as 30 days, depending on the company chosen.

While the awareness of life settlements as a financial option has grown through the decade, many seniors still do not know about it. Life settlements represent a safe option for retirees who need money and want to use their policy as a living benefit today.

Do you have a life insurance policy? Are you going to keep it? Did you know you have the right to sell it as a life settlement? Have you spoken with a life insurance professional who can guide you into the best options for you?