Month: March 2024

Enjoying life’s second half is more about presence and experience and less about the stuff we’ve stockpiled along the way. With our Golden Years in sight, now is the perfect time to lighten our load, pare back and purge so we can focus on the things that matter. But how? Whether it’s your own decluttering project or the painful task of unloading a loved one’s prized horde, stuff-lessening can be manageable if you implement a few simple processes.

Getting Down to These 3 Decluttering Processes

Let’s dive into a few of them here:

Identify Your Clutter

Take account of the contents you’re storing in each drawer, closet, bin and storage unit. Do this at a manageable pace but get a sense of what you have.

Do the Sorting Game

Sort your items in each venue into piles, including ones for valuables, meaningful keepsakes, practical items that you use frequently, donatable items, salable items, objects in which loved ones have expressed an interest, photos/videos, and trash.

Create Action Plan

Then approach each pile with an action plan. For valuables you wish to keep, put them in a safe place and write a note on each as to why they are special. This will be a big help to loved ones down the road! Do the same for meaningful keepsakes and remember that you only need to keep a few of them – not all of them!

Put practical, daily-use items back in their rightful place. Put the donatable items into bags or boxes and take them directly to the donation center of any organization that will accept them.

Consider whether you will use an estate sale or auction company to market your salable pieces, or if you will stage your own virtual or in-person garage sale.

Give the pieces others want to them while you are living, and you can see how much they enjoy them! Send photos or videos to a company that will scan them to a drive or digitize the material yourself with a phone, camera or scanner.

Take your trash pile to the curb or call your community’s special collection number to have it hauled away.

The Resources You Will Need

You also will want to be familiar with the following kinds of organizations and resources:

1. A “Got Junk?” or trash hauling company.
2. The names and numbers of reputable estate sale and auction companies. Ask friends who have been there, done that.
3. Organizations that accept donations. And be familiar with the kinds of items they will take, including mattresses, appliances and broken pieces if applicable. Learn which organizations will pick up donations from your house, and which ones require delivery of goods.

What Are Your Reasons for Decluttering?

But why do it, you might ask? Why go through all the trouble when it’s your stuff and it looks perfectly fine and squirreled away where it is? These thoughts may be on replay as you wade through stacks of children’s preschool artwork, sweaters you haven’t worn in years or your grandmother’s Hummel figurine collection. Why does it even matter anyway if my drawers are full, my closets are dense and my mini storage units are unbreachable? Let’s end with the three reasons why.

Mental Health Boost

First, decluttering is also good for our health. A University of Connecticut study indicates the following mental health benefits: better physical health and a boosted mood, a sharpened focus, energized productivity and relieved anxiety. “By removing or controlling clutter, we can directly reduce the stress that stems from the mess which can help us to feel happier, less anxious, and more confident in ourselves,” an article on the study detailed.

Keeping Clutter Is Expensive

Second, keeping copious amounts of useless stuff around is expensive. According to move.org, the average storage unit costs $180 a month. The best storage companies’ rates, the website says, are between $70 and $300 monthly. That starts adding up over time, and rates often go up every six months or so. Warehousing things that have no value or practical use is a waste of money, plain and simple.

Leaving an Ordered Home Is a Gift

Third, and most importantly, maintaining a purged home is a gift to the loved ones who will be left to manage our possessions when we’re gone. If you think getting rid of your own collection is challenging, remember it will be 10 times harder and more excruciating for your children, grandchildren, or friends to undertake. In addition to missing and mourning you, they will be heartbroken over this task.

As you may have discovered in your own purging, decluttering and paring back is physically and mentally exhausting. You don’t want this for your loved ones. Not to mention the trauma they must endure to get the job done may very well mar or alter the carefully curated legacy you designed for yourself. Be remembered as a loving, organized person who put the future experience of others before their own stuff dependence. Time to get purging!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Have you started downsizing or decluttering your home during your second half? What’s hard about it, and what’s freeing? What are some things you’ve learned about the process?

Heart disease is actually any disease of the heart but what I will be addressing in this article is coronary artery disease – the most common heart disease. This causes narrowing of the arteries and may results in a heart attack. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Leading risk factors for coronary artery disease are family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity and inactivity. Some of these risk factors are very much under your control. Try and control as many risk factors as possible.

Diet can greatly influence some of these risk factors. But, first and foremost, I want to stress that you need to take your medication as prescribed by your physician. Follow the medical advice and direction of your physician, keep your physician appointments, and do the necessary tests as instructed by your doctor.

Only after doing all of this should you consider fine tuning your heart health with the following foods that may be of benefit to you. Also, many people are on multiple medications such as warfarin that have restrictions. In addition, people may have coexisting disorders.

Restrictions due to the medications you take and diet instructions on your other disorders take precedence over the below suggested foods. Do not consume foods on the list that your physician has previously told you not to eat.

This being said, I would like to provide you with a list of 10 foods that help keep heart disease from worsening or may prevent it all together.

#1: Vegetables

Vegetables are low in calories and fat but are stock full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. The American Heart Association recommends at least eight servings of vegetables a day.

Leafy green vegetables in particular are most beneficial. Examples of leafy green vegetables are kale, collard greens, chard and spinach. Leafy green vegetables are high in nitrates that have been shown to improve the function of the cells lining the blood vessels.

Nitrates also decrease arterial stiffness and reduce blood pressure. Leafy green vegetables also contain Vitamin K which enhances proper blood clotting and protects your arteries.

Spinach is one of the best sources or magnesium, and magnesium is associated with a healthy heart rhythm. Swiss chard helps control blood sugar and reduces inflammation of the blood vessels.

Another great vegetable for your heart is asparagus. This vegetable has folate which prevents the amino acid homocysteine from accumulating in the body. High homocysteine levels have been associated with a high risk of coronary artery disease.

Some studies have shown regular broccoli consumption to lower cholesterol levels which prevents coronary artery disease.

#2: Whole Grains

Whole grains have many nutrients, and they are also high in fiber. Examples of whole grains are whole wheat, oats, barley, brown rice, quinoa, rye, and buckwheat. Read labels carefully when purchasing. Words like “multigrain” or “wheat flour” does not mean whole grain.

Oatmeal significantly reduces LDL and total cholesterol. Best benefits come from steel cut or slow cooked oats. The compound avenanthramide in oats may have protective anti-inflammatory effects on the heart.

Barley is one of the best sources of fiber when it comes to whole grain. Barley has flavonoids and other phytochemicals that have been shown to protect against heart disease.

#3: Beans

Beans are associated with reduced blood pressure and inflammation and lower triglyceride and LDL levels. They are filled with fiber, antioxidants, polyphenols and protein which are all beneficial for the heart.

Legumes are also very inexpensive. Beans are high in protein and contain no cholesterol. Therefore, they make a great meat substitute. Less meat consumption is good for your health and for the environment. Also, beans have starch that resist digestion and ferment by the good bacteria we have in our gut. So, beans are also good for our gastrointestinal health and help gut bacterial flora.

#4: Fish

Fish is a good substitute for high fat meats. The American Heart Association recommends a 3.5 ounce serving of fatty fish at least twice a week. Some fish are very high in omega-3-fatty acids which lower triglycerides and may lessen the risk of heart rhythm disorders and may also lower blood pressure. Cold water fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel have the highest omega-3-fatty acids content.

Sardines are also high in omega-3-fatty acids, and they have high levels of calcium. They are also usually low in mercury levels.

#5: Fruit

Fruits are a great source of minerals, vitamins and fiber. They are also low in calories. In addition, they contain substances that fight and prevent heart disease.

Oranges have fiber pectin which lowers cholesterol. They also have potassium that helps lower blood pressure. Oranges actually have more potassium that bananas.

Berries and cherries have anthocyanins which are antioxidants believed to protect blood vessels. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that are known to cause oxidative inflammation and damage. These free radicals contribute significantly to heart disease.

Avocados have monosaturated fats which reduce cholesterol. The cardioprotective and lipid lowering effects of avocados have been shown in several studies. They are also a great source of blood pressure lowering potassium.

Tomatoes have lots of the antioxidant lycopene. Low levels of lycopene have been associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart attack. Lycopene helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and it helps with blood vessel wall health. Tomatoes also have lots of Vitamin C, choline, folate, potassium and fiber; all of which are good for the heart.

Grapes have also been found to improve blood flow, regulate blood pressure and protect your blood vessels.

Apples have procyanidins which have strong antioxidant activity and may lower LDL cholesterol. Red apples contain more procyanidins.

#6: Nuts

Nuts have healthy fats, and they are filled with fiber and protein. These also have lots of nutritious minerals and antioxidants. Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and pecans are especially full of heart healthy nutrients. Of note, you should avoid nuts with added ingredients, such as sugary coatings or flavorings.

Walnuts have lots of omega-3-fatty acids, plant sterols, monosaturated fats, and fiber. They also have lots of copper, manganese and magnesium.

Almonds in particular may help increase your good cholesterol, HDL, and lower the bad cholesterol, LDL. HDL can reduce plaque buildup in your arteries, keeping them clear. Be aware though, while almonds are very high in nutrients, they are also very high in calories. So, take this into consideration if you are trying to lose weight.

#7: Olive Oil

Olive oil is a healthy fat made from smashed olives. It has lots of antioxidants. Replacing saturated fats like butter with olive oil can be particularly heart healthy. A higher intake of olive oil has been associated with a 48% lower risk of dying from heart disease.

#8: Tofu

Tofu is a great source of vegetarian soy protein. It also contains polyunsaturated fats, fiber and minerals that are good for your heart. Tofu takes on the taste of spices or sauces you put it in.

#9: Seeds

Flaxseed, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds have heart-healthy nutrients such as omega-3-fatty acids and fiber.

Hemp seeds are full of arginine, an amino acid that reduces some inflammatory markers.

Flaxseed may lower cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition to lowering risk for cardiovascular disease, flaxseed has been shown to lower risk of cancer and help with diabetes and gastrointestinal health.

#10: Garlic

Garlic has allicin which has been associated with a lot of health benefits. Garlic reduces cholesterol, decreases blood pressure and it inhibits platelet buildup, which reduces the risk of blood clots and stroke.

In Conclusion

To best manage or prevent heart disease, make sure you are under the care of a physician, take your prescribed medication, do the lab and other tests that are ordered, and follow a heart smart diet as instructed by your physician and/or dietician.

Once you are doing all of this, consider the value of the above-mentioned foods in helping manage or prevent coronary artery disease. See how supposedly small changes in diet can alter health.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you have coronary artery disease? Do you regularly incorporate these foods into your diet? Have you noticed a difference in your lab results and energy levels when you eat these foods? Share your thoughts.

If you love weddings or resist the eyeroll as the happy couple say their vows, attending or being in one can present makeup challenges you hadn’t anticipated. In the video, I go step-by-step on how to create a pretty wedding look. In this blog, I walk you through the key components to be aware of to look gorgeous!

As a side note, I’ve made up hundreds (yes hundreds) of brides of all ages. I think this makes me a connoisseur of wedding looks and managing the all too common craziness of expectations tied to the event. In any case, here are my key takeaways for creating a beautiful wedding look.

How to POP Your Eyes

What woman doesn’t want her eyes to pop? To create this, find a good concealer like Amazing Concealer. Concealers cover all the discoloration, hyperpigmentation, and what happened in Vegas stays in Vegas under eye circles.

Cheaply made concealers sit on the surface of the skin and can set in our crow’s feet. Yikes. Having said that, be sure you are well hydrated and use a moisturizer or eye cream to give makeup something dewy to adhere to.

For top of the line moisturizers, try Truth Treatments Transdermal C Balm, and for something more mid-range try Image Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer. I’m not a fan of eye cream, so use your moisturizer around your eye area if possible. (I’ve never noticed anything special from using a separate eye cream except that I spend more money on something useless.)

If you can, use the concealer on your lid as well as in the inner corner of your eyes. If you have oily lids and need to prevent eyeshadow from creasing, try a mattifying eye base like MAC Pro Longwear Paint-Pot. They have many shades and it lasts for hours. If your mascara tends to bleed under your eyes, use a little eye base next to the lower lashes and it will help prevent or minimize that tendency.

A key point for popping your eyes is to use the concealer around your nose and down the bridge. This not only brightens up unnecessary redness but lengthens your nose and brings attention to your eyes.

And don’t forget to fill in your eyebrows! This strategy is so important for enhancing your eyes, balancing out your face, and allowing for a stronger lip shade because it brings an equilibrium to the facial structure. Never underestimate a great eyebrow!

Sheer Foundation That Matches Your Neck

Using too dark (or light) a shade of foundation that’s full coverage is the number one mistake I see women making. It can be easy to miss, as we only look at our makeup in bathroom lighting at a certain angle. Because of this, the jawline demarcation between your face and neck can be avoided by checking it in daylight. (A comment on color: most bathroom lights are yellow or warm tinted, so when you step into the blue daylight, you can look… um… weird.)

Most people’s neck area is lighter than their face, so you have to either darken your neck a bit, or lighten your face. Normally, I do a mixture of the two to find a suitable, natural looking shade. Take your bronzer with a large brush and darken under your chin and down your neck a little in order to do this.

A word on full-coverage foundations. For anyone over 50, full-coverage foundations are too heavy. I like to use a sheer to medium coverage foundation and then add concealer on any age spots, darkness, redness, etc. This way you allow your skin to show through, while covering up the naughty bits.

Pick a Theme and Go for It

For the most part, brides like a rosy lip and plum shadows. I know this sounds like type-casting, but it’s the truth and the reason why in the video I use these shades. For example, with the rosy lip look, use a pinky blush, and plum and pink toned shadow. For warm tones, try a peachy lip, blush and any shade of eye shadow that hits your fancy!

What I recommend is deciding on your theme, whether it be a wardrobe color scheme, bouquet, or nail polish, decide on it and create your makeup look around those colors. A huge error is to do your makeup and not consider these external factors.

As an example, in one wedding I attended, a woman showed up in a yellow dress and pink lipstick so pale she fairly disappeared. A brilliant blue-red lipstick would’ve looked both classic and chic with her whole look. Getting out of your comfort zone can be wonderful, scary, and transformational. In this way, getting some help can be beneficial.

Have a blast at this season’s weddings and try not to cave to the pale lipstick, cheap concealer, or (God forbid) eyeroll!

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Will you be attending any weddings this year? Have you looked into makeup options? What type of makeup do you find best?

Crossing the 60 and over threshold means different things to each of us. One thing we can all agree on is that when we enter this beautiful stage of our lives, resisting change is no longer an option.

We all know that change is the immutable law of nature. Even so, how many times have you attempted to negotiate with change, even try in vain to bend the laws of nature to fit your desires and will?

If you are like me and many others who are 60 and over, the answer is a lot.

What are the solutions to not only stop resisting change but to open yourself up to more of the desires you seek?

The answer is: Being More Playful!

Being playful after 60 is not a luxury. It is the #1 thing for welcoming new changes into your life.

Time of Year to Be More Playful

It’s hard to fathom, but springtime is upon us. This means we are entering a new and vibrant time of the year. Are you ready?

Whether you are preparing to do some spring cleaning in your home or renewing other areas of your life, this time of year requires a shift in thinking and perspective.

There is no better time to begin being more playful than now!

Being more playful, especially if you are not accustomed to doing so, requires changing your perspective on life. Without a new perspective, you could unknowingly resist the changes that lead to a new and improved you.

5 Important Questions

Mystery novelist, Rita Mae Brown, once famously wrote, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting new and better results.”

This quote speaks to outdated beliefs and behaviors that fail so many of us time and again. To successfully navigate change, you will want to stop repeating behaviors that don’t serve you by opening yourself up to new, more empowering beliefs.

Adopting new beliefs and behaviors requires clarity on what positive changes you desire. This also means being clear about what outdated beliefs you are letting go of.

To get things started, let us address five important questions:

1. What new, positive changes do you seek in your life this year?
2. What limiting beliefs and behaviors get in the way of these positive changes?
3. What new, more empowering beliefs will be needed to welcome new changes?
4. What areas in your life can you be more playful in?
5. In what ways will being more playful help you enjoy more of your life?

Once you have journaled the answer to these questions, the next step is to begin integrating the changes you seek.

3 New, Empowering Beliefs for Play

Many people can clearly articulate outer obstacles that get in the way of living their dream life. But when you ask where or how they will transport themselves from where they are to where the life of their dreams lives, a lot less clarity shows up.

Truth is, integrating new beliefs into your life is not easy. If it were, everyone would do it.

What gets in the way of integrating positive changes more than anything is that most people do not make the process enjoyable. Resisting being more playful makes the process of achieving goals and dreams a chore.

This is why the #1 thing to welcome new changes in your life is being playful!

Being playful is an act of self-love. You may agree, but if you are like a lot of people, you may also think you don’t have time to engage in playful activities. This stems from limiting beliefs most of us were taught early on about what is required to achieve our desired outcomes. Beliefs such as hard work and sacrifice come to mind.

Perhaps the biggest limiting belief that must be let go is the one that tells you that you can’t have fun until you have achieved your desired outcome.

Here are three new, empowering beliefs you can apply in your life right now:

• I am playful.
• I open myself up to be, do, and have more fun in all areas of my life.
• It is safe for me to play while working towards my goals and dreams.

Being Playful Is Essential

When you are seeking new changes but are not open to being more playful, it is easy fall back on limiting beliefs in the face of adversity.

When you are not having fun in life, your resistance to change grows. This means working harder and playing less is not an ideal solution to fulfilling your desires.

Some will say that being playful is a luxury you cannot afford at this age. Being playful, however, is essential to welcoming new changes into your life after 60.

Create time this week to observe areas of your life where you can be more playful. Be sure to have fun doing this. Remember, being playful is the key that unlocks the new you and welcomes in the new changes you seek.

I invite you to join me in the video where I will share six steps to welcoming new change, including how to be more playful in life.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Which areas of your life are fun? Do you consider playfulness a necessity in life? In which areas of your life can you be more playful?

This soup ticks so many boxes. It’s easy to make even if you’re not really a cook. It’s cheap. It tastes delicious and it’s highly nutritious too.

Why Use These Ingredients

As well as the lentils, rice and coconut, the soup uses ginger, turmeric and garlic too. These are now very much regarded as super-foods, offering lots of health benefits in tiny packages.

Ginger is now more widely known as a treatment for indigestion, but it also helps regulate blood sugar levels. Important to note, it also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which can prevent cell damage and help ward off chronic disease.

Turmeric has long been recognised in Ayurvedic medicine for its beneficial properties, but now western medicine is beginning to recognise it too. Research has found that curcumin, a natural compound found in turmeric, can help eliminate certain viruses. It has also been shown to improve memory and mood in people with mild, age-related memory loss.

This recipe has black pepper in it to add to the overall tastiness. Coincidentally, research has shown that combining the piperine in black pepper with the curcumin in turmeric enhances curcumin absorption by up to 2,000%. Another nutritional benefit of this recipe.

Garlic is known for its ability to fight infections. I used to eat raw garlic when I had a sore throat. The sore throat (and my loved ones) would disappear very quickly. Garlic also appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol levels, and cancer. Cooking, as we are doing here, reduces these benefits somewhat, but it is still worth doing.

Do remember, in case you’re getting put off by all this worthiness, that it tastes delicious and is easy to make.

In this recipe I use rice, but you can use other grains if you prefer – millet or quinoa would work well. I like to use risotto rice as it starts to disintegrate in a way that adds body to the soup.

If you have some leftover cooked grains, use that, rather than cooking more from scratch.

The basic soup is not that spicey. This is great if you have a delicate stomach. Remember the ginger should help you digest it, but you can add other spices, such as chilli or cayenne to spice it up.

We know that the cheap and lowly red split lentil has great health-giving properties. They have been described as “the world’s oldest health food” by the WebMD website. Lentils have a high fibre content with all the benefits that bring for regulating blood sugar and reducing cholesterol levels. They are also a great source of potassium which helps blood pressure and heart health.

If you find all beans and lentils give you gas, try adding a half teaspoon of the Indian spice asafoetida to the soup at the beginning.

It can seem strange not to start by sautéing some onions or some garlic, but the coconut milk gives it that great mouth-feel of oil when it’s added towards the end.

The Recipe

So here’s the recipe, and it makes 4 servings.

Ingredients

100 g risotto rice, dry weight

100g red lentils

1 heaped tsp turmeric

1 tbsp coarsely grated ginger

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tsp of ground coriander

1 tsp of ground cumin

200 g of grated celeriac and/or carrot.

1 litre of vegetable stock

400ml can coconut milk

Pepper and salt to taste.

Fresh coriander or parsley as a garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the risotto rice in water until al dente (or use any other cooked grain).
2. Put the first nine ingredients in a saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
3. Add the can of coconut milk and stir well.
4. Taste at this point and see if you want to add more cumin and/or coriander and whether you want to add some heat with chilli powder or curry spices.
5. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, giving an occasional stir if needed.
6. Optional: At this point you can add some shredded spinach or chard. Leave for a few minutes on a low heat and then stir before serving. If you wish, you could cook the chard separately in a little water until wilted. Once the soup has been put into bowls, top each bowl with some of this chard.
7. Optional: add some chopped parsley or coriander to each bowl before serving.

Enjoy!

This is based on an original recipe from the BBC Good Food website.

Want to Try More Recipes?

Did you like this recipe? Here are a few others that we think you may enjoy.

• Winter soup recipes
• Summer salads
• Easy risotto recipe
• Simple appetizers

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you cook lentil soup? Have you enhanced the original recipe to better suit your taste? What modifications have you made? Please share with the community!